


Flames of Blue and Green

by gen0820



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Cram school, Demons, F/M, OCs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-03
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-29 18:26:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 36,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5138060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gen0820/pseuds/gen0820
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Brie Tenors suddenly appears in Gehenna, she's a bit confused. Faced with the devil himself, Brie is taken to True Cross in order for Mephisto to investigate her situation while she trains to be an exorcist. But is Brie really who she thinks she is? And who's this blue-haired boy with the sword always strapped to his back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Turned Around and Upside-Down

I don't know how I got here, but suddenly I'm standing in a large, elegant-looking hallway. I look around in confusion, wondering where I am and exactly how I got here. My thoughts are disrupted when a man with snow-white hair rounds the corner and spots me.

"Who the Hell are you?" he barks at me.

I narrow my eyes at his rudeness and lash out a smart-ass reply, "I could ask you the same Snowy."

"Snowy? Do you know who I am?!" he shouts.

"If I did I wouldn't be asking, now would I?"

"I don't know! You could just be stupid!"

"YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN SNOWY?!"

"WHAT'RE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT IF I DO?!"

We're basically nose to nose now, faces red with anger and him surrounded by blue flames. I can almost feel the electricity crackling through the air between us. Just as I'm about to yell another insult, a boy that looks about a year or two older than me walks in. He has green hair that's up in one big spike at the top of his head.

"What's going on in here?" he asks with a look of boredom. His eyes then spot me and his face turns into one of confusion. "Who's she?"

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW! I JUST WANT HER OUT OF HERE!"

"AND YOU THINK I WANNA BE HERE, SNOWY?!" I yell with a glare. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I GOT HERE!"

A man rounds the corner as I finish my outburst, a very annoyed look on his face. He has odd purple hair and is dressed in a white getup.

"What in the world is going on in here?" he asks irritably, looking at Snowy.

"THE HELL IF I KNOW! THIS GIRL JUST APPEARS IN MY CASTLE AND STARTS BAD MOUTHING ME!"

"You started it," I grumble, earning a glare that could kill.

Purple-haired guy raises an eyebrow at me, "You bad mouthed Satan?"

My eyes widen at his question. "You're telling me this asshole is Satan?"

"HELL YEAH I AM! NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE I SLAUGHTER YOU!" yells Sn-I mean Satan.

My anger begins to rise again and I yell back, "SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY! I DON'T CARE WHO THE HELL YOU ARE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK LIKE THAT TO ME YOU JACKASS!" I can see him visibly beginning to shrink away from me. "AND HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO 'GET THE HELL OUT' WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE FUCK I AM?!"

By now I've basically pushed him up against a wall and he's staring at me with wide eyes. His flames have receded and he looks genuinely frightened. I back away from him and smirk, crossing my arms in victory. How's that for ya? I just scared Satan. Suddenly he just starts smiling in amusement. I cock my head in question and he starts to shake with laughter.

"Nobody's ever stood up to me like that before! I like you, kid!" he says between fits of laughter. "What's your name?"

I smile slightly and say, "Brie. Brie Tenors."

"Well then, Brie, I'll have my two idiot sons over there take care of you. They'll help you figure out what happened to you. Goodbye," he says with a small salute while walking away. I watch him until he rounds a corner and is out of my sight.

"He's a strange one," I say to myself. I then look to the two others in the room in question. They both still have wide eyes and looks of surprise on their faces, which makes me giggle a bit. My laughter seems to bring them back to reality and they wipe the looks of surprise off.

The one with purple hair smirks at me and says, "Hello Ms. Brie, I'm Mephisto Pheles. It's quite the pleasure to meet you."

"And I'm Amaimon," says the green-haired boy as he pulls a lollipop out of his pocket and sticks it in his mouth.

I look at Amaimon with longing before I speak up, "Hello, nice to meet you too." I glance at Amaimon again. "Um, can I, uh, have one of those?"

He looks at me for a moment in thought, and then reaches into his pocket for a lollipop, tossing it to me. I catch it with ease and quickly tear off the wrapping, popping it into my mouth. Mmm, watermelon. My favorite. I suck on the treat happily while Mephisto begins to talk.

"Anyway, Ms. Brie, do you remember how you got here?" he asks.

I think hard for a minute and say, "I was walking down the street, and then it got dark. But not like night dark, just pitch black unnatural dark. And so I was walking through the dark...and..." I try to think harder but get a sharp pain in my head. "That's all I can remember."

Mephisto looks at me in a calculating way before saying, "Well, you're definitely human. I'll have to do some research to figure this out." He places his head in his hands. "Great, more work for me."

Amaimon, I notice, is staring at me with a look of curiosity. He then looks to Mephisto and says, "Will you have to go back to the academy?"

Mephisto nods, "Yes, I can't leave it on its own or else it will fall into chaos." He smirks before continuing. "That might not be too bad though."

"What about her?" asks Amaimon, gesturing to me.

"Well, she can either stay here or come to the academy. Either way you'll have to stay by her side to keep an eye on her." He then turns to me. "It's your choice Ms. Brie. Stay here, or go back to Assiah."

I think for a moment and say, "I think I'd like to go back, not that it wouldn't be fun to stay here and pester Satan."

Mephisto smiles in amusement and nods, "It's decided then. Let's go."

He leads us out of the castle and to a large gate outside of what I now know is a city. Once at the gate, Mephisto speaks to the guards at the door and they open it. Mephisto looks over his shoulder at us and then walks through the gate.

Amaimon looks at me and gestures to the gate, "You next."

I look at the gate in fear and then back at him. "Are you sure it's safe?" I ask.

He rolls his eyes and then pushes me into the gate, following behind. I fall through with a yelp and mutter a quick 'fuck' under my breath.


	2. Welcome to True Cross

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brie arrives at True Cross with Amaimon and Mephisto, meeting some other characters when she gets there.

In seconds time, conditioned air hits my face and I tumble to the ground. I grunt in pain as I hit the hard floor, cursing magic gates and their power to make me lose my balance. I quickly push myself up and look around at my surroundings. We've ended up in an office, little trinkets decorate the shelves and desk. I turn around to face Amaimon and shoot him a glare, to which he only smirks and sticks another lollipop in his mouth.

"It took you two long enough," says Mephisto with a yawn. I glare at him and he smiles in amusement, irritating me further.

"She was afraid, so I had to push her," says Amaimon with a shrug.

Mephisto smiles again and laughs, "Well now, that wasn't very nice of you. But, now that we're here-" His face becomes serious. "-get out if my office."

"That isn't very nice of you," I mimic him as he pushes us through the door.

"Yes, but I'm not very nice," he says with a grin before slamming the door in our faces.

"Rude," I grumble under my breath. I turn to Amaimon in question. "What now?"

He shrugs, "I dunno. What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know what there is to do around here."

He thinks for a moment before grabbing my hand and dragging me away, twisting down hallway after hallway.

"Where are we going?" I yell, struggling to keep up with him.

"To see someone," he replies in a bored tone. I roll my eyes at his uninformative answer. He soon leads me outside of the building, stopping at a water fountain near what looks to be the main entrance. He sits down on the edge of the fountain and I sit next to him, blushing when I notice that he hasn't let go of my hand. We wait for a few minutes before a bell sounds from inside the building. Teenagers flood out of the building, heading their different ways with books in tow.

"Is this a school?" I ask in confusion.

"Yes, it's True Cross Academy. Brother runs it as well as the exorcist school," he answers. I nod in understanding as he scans the crowd for someone. He seems to find who he's looking for because he waves at someone, signaling them to join us. A boy with black hair, so black it almost has a blue tint to it, approaches us with a grin on his face. I note that he has a sword strapped to his back. Odd...

"Hey Amaimon," he says with a grin, not seeming to notice me.

"Hello Rin," replies Amaimon with a small smile.

Rin then seems to notice me and looks my way. He gives a sly smirk as he notices our entangled hands. "Who's this? Your girlfriend?"

I blush and quickly pull my hand away, "Hell no! No way would I ever go out with this guy!"

Amaimon smirks and introduces me, "This is Brie. She's a transfer student."

I look at him in confusion before I understand. He's making up a cover story for me. It's not like I can just tell people that I randomly ended up in Gehenna and that I'm here while Mephisto researches how the heck I got there. Huh, I guess Amaimon's smarter than I thought.

"Yeah, I just got here. I'm from America," I say. Which makes me wonder, what country am I in?

"Wow, you speak really good Japanese for an American," says Rin with wide eyes. Oh, so I'm in Japan. How am I speaking Japanese?

"Uh, yeah, I studied Japanese fluently before I enrolled here," I lie. He nods and then suddenly he's staring at my face. I blink in question and turn around. Nope, nobody behind me. I look back at him in confusion.

"What?"

He blinks and then says, "You're really cute."

I look at the ground, trying to hide the pink in my cheeks. Amaimon then also starts to observe my face, looking it over in detail.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Rin. She is cute," he agrees, making me blush darker.

"Aw look, she's blushing," says Rin with a laugh.

"It makes her look even cuter," says Amaimon.

"Stop it," I attempt to yell but it instead comes out as a pout.

"Haha! She's pouting now!"

"She's just the cutest."

As they continue to embarrass me, a new voice interrupts the conversation.

"Hey Okumura!"

We each turn to see three boys walking our way. One of them, who looks to be the leader, is tall and has brown hair with a blonde stripe going down the middle of his head. He has a scowl on his face, making him look a little intimidating. On one side of him is a tall boy with pink hair and a cocky posture with a cocky smile to match. On the other side of weird hair guy is a short bald kid. He has squinty eyes and is wearing glasses.

"What are you doing Okumura?" asks weird hair guy when they reach us.

"Uh, not much. Hangin' out," answers Rin plainly.

Weird hair guy's scowl deepens, "You're supposed to be studying for exams."

"But studying is so boring!" pouts Rin.

"You have to study to pass! If you don't study, you'll fail you idiot!" yells weird hair guy, causing me to jump.

"Hey, calm down Bon," says bald kid in a soothing tone.

"Yeah, if he wants to fail, let him," says the cocky pinkette with a shrug.

While weird hair guy, Bon, continues to lecture Rin, I hide behind Amaimon in fear. This guy is scary. Amaimon seems to notice my distress and elbows Rin. Rin glances at me and then turns back to Bon.

"Look! You're scaring her!" he yells, gesturing to me. Bon looks at me and makes a look of surprise. He, apparently, hadn't noticed me.

"Oh, sorry about that," he mumbles as he rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Brie. I'm, uh, new here," I say, stepping out from behind Amaimon.

"Oh, a newbie huh? I'm Suguro Ryuji, most people just call me Bon though," he says with a small smile. "These are my friends."

The bald kid speaks up first, "Miwa Konekomura. You can call me Koneko. Nice to meet you Brie."

"Renzo Shima. You can just call me Shima," he says with a wink. I blush a bit and nod at all of them.

"So you're new here, huh? Where ya from?" asks Bon.

"America. I'm a transfer student," I reply, easily going with the cover story. "These two were just about to show me around."

"A foreign girl, huh? Interesting," says Shima with a flirtatious grin, causing me to blush again.

Bon looks back to Rin, scowl in place again but a little softer. "I'll let you off the hook today since you're showing her around, but you better at least have your homework done or I'm gonna pound you," he says with a small growl at the end. Rin nods quickly, eyes wide in fear.

"Alright, see you later guys. Bye Brie," he says and they all turn to leave, Koneko waving a goodbye and Shima blowing me a kiss.

"So, what now?" I ask.

"Well, we could show you around. Or..." he trails off with a mischievous grin.

"Or?"

"Come on, follow me," he says and walks off. We follow him and he leads us to a large field, stopping in the middle. Amaimon seems to understand what's going on and grins.

"Alright. Brie, you might want to back away a bit," says Rin. I do as he says and back away until I'm near what would be considered the sidelines. Rin and Amaimon back away from each other, stopping when about teen feet away, and face one another.

"Brie, count down from three okay?" Rin yells to me. I nod and begin the countdown.

"Uh, three. Two. One...go-?" As soon as the word 'go' escapes my mouth, they run at each other. Rin unsheathes his sword in one swift movement and bursts into flames. Amaimon also bursts into flames, though his are green. Engulfed in their flames they lunge at each other and dodge with superhuman speed and agility. Watching them suddenly triggers something in my head and I grasp my head in pain.

I'm walking down a street bathed in afternoon sunlight. I continue to walk, until it suddenly starts to get dark. As I walk it gets darker and darker until it's pitch black. I walk through the darkness, confused as to what's happening. I suddenly see a light up ahead. As I get closer I see flames. Some of the flames are green, and some are blue. They dance around each other in what looks like a battle for...dominance. The blue flames will grow and almost consume the green ones, but then the green ones will grow and the battle begins again. Each time one almost wins, the other will make a comeback. The vision soon fades away and I'm left in the dark.

I open my eyes and find two pairs of eyes looking back at me. I bolt upright and end up hitting my head on two others. We all give out a simultaneous grunt of pain and hold our heads.

"What the Hell was that for?" grumbles Rin.

"You guys were the ones who scared me," I reply while rubbing my head.

"We didn't mean to," defends Amaimon. "We were just worried."

"Huh?"

"When we were done fighting-"

"When you were done losing," interrupts Amaimon.

"-we looked over and you were unconscious on the ground," finishes Rin, ignoring Amaimon's comment.

"Oh," I whisper.

"Are you alright?" asks Amaimon with worried eyes. Rin looks at me with a matching expression. I nod and put on a smile, hoping they'll drop it. It seems to work because they don't say anything more on the subject. Amaimon looks up at the sky, about to speak when his phone goes off.

"Hello. Yes brother? Now? I'm with Rin and Brie. Okay. Do you want me to bring Brie? Okay. I'll be there in a couple minutes." He hangs up and looks at us. "That was Mephisto, he said he needs me. Brie, he says you can stay with Rin for now because he needs me to run errands for him. Later." And with that he runs off and jumps up onto a rooftop, disappearing fro. sight.

Rin looks at me again. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I feel fine now. I'm probably just hungry," I say, realizing that I haven't eaten all day. As if on cue, my stomach growls rather loudly.

Rin looks at me in question. "When's the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday...." His eyes widen and he grabs my hand, dragging me away from the field.

"Where are we going now?" I ask, slightly irritated by the fact that this is the second time I've been dragged off today.

"To get some food into you!" he yells over his shoulder.


	3. Dinner at Rin's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Brie get close.

"Here we are," says Rin with a grin.

I look at him in confusion. "You live in an abandoned dorm building?"

"Well, yeah. You see, I'm a half-demon, meaning my mom was human and my dad is a demon. Not just any demon though, I'm the son of Satan," he says a bit sheepishly while pushing his hand through his hair. "When I first found out I didn't have much control over my flames, so they stuck me in here so that I wouldn't cause trouble. It's just me and my brother."

He seems to look at me in expectancy as I calculate all this in my head. He probably thinks I'm gonna reject him as a friend...

"So, you're the son of Satan?" I ask. He nods and I'm about to tell him that I don't mind because I've met Satan, but then I remember my cover story. Instead, I smile and say something else. "Hey, we can't choose our parents right? And it's not like you're following in his evil footsteps."

His eyes sparkle and he looks at me in adoration, like I'm the first person to have said that. "R-Really? Nobody's ever just accepted me on the spot like that. They avoided me for a long time..." He gets a distant look in his eye, as if remembering that time. The look goes away after a few seconds and he continues. "Thanks, a lot. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Shall we?" Rin asks, gesturing toward the door. I nod and Rin opens the door for me with a bow, causing me to giggle. I walk inside and find a large cafeteria area.

"Alright, you can stay out here while I cook," says Rin, walking by me and heading toward a door on one side of the cafeteria that I'm guessing leads to the kitchen.

"You don't have to do that," I protest.

"I know, I want to," he says with a grin.

"At least let me help."

"No can do, it would be rude of me to have my guest cook," he says and then disappears into the kitchen. I walk over to the large serving window next to the door, peeking inside at Rin. He's talking to a small demon.

"What do you think Ukobach?" Rin asks the demon. It looks to be in thought for a minute before it makes noises, which I assume means it's talking. Rin's face brightens at whatever the demon said. "Good idea!"

He then sets straight to work, grabbing ingredients and cooking utensils. The demon makes more noises and Rin shakes his head.

"No Ukobach, I can't let you help with this one. This meal is a special gift to her from me," Rin says to Ukobach. Ukobach pouts for a second before grinning and making more noises, this time it sounds like teasing.

"What? N-No I don't like her. I just, uh, wanna do something nice for her, since she's new and all," he says, trying to hide a blush from the little demon. The demon seems to catch his flushed cheeks and laughs. "S-Shut up! So what if I like her? What's the big deal?"

I walk away from the window, a dark blush staining my cheeks. So Rin likes me, huh? We just met, how can he already have feelings for me? I sigh and shake my head, attempting to clear my mind of what I just heard. I decide to try and distract myself by exploring a bit. I walk around the large room in curiosity, looking for anything that is in any way interesting.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

I turn around to see a boy maybe about the same age as me. He has black hair and is wearing glasses. He's looking at me with a stern look that's betrayed by his scrunched up eyebrows, showing that he's confused.

"Oh, uh, hi. I'm Brie," I say.

"Hello, Brie. May I ask why you're in my dorm?" he says, still confused.

"Rin invited me over for dinner. I tried to turn him down but he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

He nods in understanding and his face softens into a smile. "I see. Well it's nice to meet you Brie. I'm Yukio, Rin's twin brother."

"Twin brother? So then are you both...?"

"Demons? Yes. Although my demon side wasn't revealed until about two years ago," he says. "So are you new to True Cross?"

"Yeah, I just transferred here from America," I reply with a smile. He seems nice.

"Well, I'm glad we can have you here."

"I'm glad to be wanted."

We smile at each other until he looks at his watch and says, "Well, I gotta go. See ya around Brie."

He smiles and nods a goodbye before walking off, leaving me alone in the room again. I sigh and continue to walk circles around the room. As I walk around I see something move near the entrance. I turn and see a small black cat. It looks at me and cocks its head as if asking a question. I move toward it and it tenses up. Sensing its discomfort, I speak soothingly to it.

"Hey there kitty, I'm Brie. Rin invited me over here for dinner," I say, feeling a little silly for explaining myself to a cat. At the mention of Rin the cat visibly calms. It trots over to me and I reach out my hand, which it sniffs before leaning into it. Up close I can see that it has two small horns that curl out of its head.

"So you're a cat demon, huh?" I ask. It looks at me with big eyes, as if afraid I'll hurt it. Are all demons afraid of rejection? "That's cool. I've never met a cat demon before. What's your name little guy?"

"That's Kuro, he's my familiar," says a voice from behind me, making me jump. I spin around and see Rin, that goofy grin on his face. He laughs and continues, "I'm surprised he's letting you touch him. He doesn't usually adjust to strangers that fast."

"I guess I'm just special then," I say with a grin. Kuro makes a noise and hops up onto my shoulder, causing Rin to laugh and me to yelp.

"I guess you are special, he only ever does that to me," he says. Kuro looks at Rin and makes a few growling noises, making Rin blush.

"What did he say?" I ask curiously, causing his blush to deepen and Kuro to snicker.

"N-Nothing. Come on, let's go eat," he says quickly as he turns around and walks away. I shrug and follow him to a table that I see now has food on it. There are two plates on the table, each set in front of chair. Next to each plate is a cup filled with some type of beverage. I sit down at one of the set places, Kuro jumping onto the table, while Rin sits at the other. I look at my plate curiously. There are what look like gray noodles on the plate, a set of chopsticks sit next to the plate.

"They're called soba noodles," says Rin, answering my unspoken question. I nod and pick up the chopsticks, trying to hold them correctly, failing with every try. I give out a sigh of dissatisfaction and set the chopsticks down rather loudly. Rin laughs and gets up, walking to my seat. He takes the chopsticks and puts them in my hand, the interaction causing me to blush.

"Like this," he says softly. He shifts my fingers until I'm holding the chopsticks correctly. He then uses my hand to open the chopsticks, picking up a noodle and closing the chopsticks around it. "See?"

I blush and nod as he lets go of my hand and takes his seat. I bring the chopsticks up to my mouth and eat the noodles attached to the end. My eyes widen as I chew the noodles and swallow.

"These are so good, Rin!" I exclaim, looking at him.

"They aren't that good," he laughs.

"Are you kidding? This is probably, like, the best thing I've ever tasted!"

"T-Thanks," he stutters, looking at his own food and blushing. I smile and continue to eat my food, desperately trying to make each bite last. Once I've cleaned my plate I reach for the steaming cup of...whatever it is. I take a small sip and sigh in delight. It's green tea, my favorite. I sip on the tea when a thought crosses my mind.

"Hey Rin, what day is it?" I ask. When he makes a confusing face I make up an excuse. "I'm just not sure with the time difference and all."

"It's Friday," he says, seeming to believe my excuse. "You're lucky to have gotten here today, means you have two days to settle before actually starting school."

"That sure is lucky," I agree with a smile. I finish my tea, wondering if I'll actually have to attend school here.

"Well, seeing as we're both done, I guess it's time to clean up," says Rin. I nod and help him take the dishes to the kitchen. Rin's about to start the dishes when I push him out of the way and turn on the faucet.

"What the Hell?" he exclaims in confusion.

"You cooked, I'll do dishes," I reply, filling the sink with soapy water. As I begin scrubbing at one of the plates, Ukobach appears on the counter next to me. I smile at him. "Hello."

"This is Ukobach, he's the master chef around here," says Rin with a grin.

"Hello Ukobach, I'm Brie. I hope you don't mind me in your kitchen," I say with a smile. He smiles also and makes some noises. I look to Rin for a translation, who's blushing.

"He said he doesn't mind because you're special to me. He also said that he'll do the dishes," he says with a blush, running his hand through his hair. I also blush and turn to Ukobach.

"It's really okay, I can do them."

He shakes his head and makes more sounds, grinning after he's done. Rin says, "He said that he will do the dishes, end of discussion. But he thanks you for wanting to help out, others usually just eat and leave."

"Alright, fine. Jeez, there's just no arguing with you two," I say in defeat, earning matching grins and nods from each of them.

"Come on Brie, we should probably get you to your dorm, it's getting pretty late," Rin says, heading toward the exit.

"Alright. Bye Ukobach, bye Kuro," I call out to the little demons. Ukobach waves a soapy hand and Kuro gives out a small meow. I follow Rin out the door and we walk toward the other dorm buildings.

"So which dorm is yours?" Rin asks.

"Oh, I haven't actually been assigned one yet."

"Well that's a problem. I'll walk you to Mephisto's office and you can talk to him about it."

"Thanks."

We change direction and head to the main school building. We walk in silence for a while, only the sound of the city keeping us company. The sun is halfway below the horizon, the moon glowing nearby it. Oranges, reds, yellows, blues, and purples create a watercolor painting in the sky. Where purple meets the night sky, stars are beginning to show, twinkling like tiny lights. Without fully realizing it, I stop and stare at the beautiful scene. To see the sun, moon, and stars at the same time, mixed with all the colors of the sunset, is breathtaking.

"Brie?" calls Rin. I don't even look at him, afraid that if I look away from the scene before me, it'll disappear.

"It's so beautiful," I reply with barely a whisper. I hear his footsteps grow closer and stop next to me.

"It sure is." We stand and gaze at the scene in silence, admiring its beauty. I've always been drawn to the natural beauty of things like this. The ocean, the forest, the night sky, and even just a plain and peaceful field. "Hey Brie."

I turn to find Rin's face very close to mine, surprising me. What surprises me more though, is the fact that I don't back away. Instead, I lean closer as he copies the movement. Our lips touch and I close my eyes, reveling in the warmth. The kiss is soft and light, like a breeze on a spring day. We pull away from each other and I open my eyes, spotting a blushing Rin that's probably as pink as me at the moment. We stare at one another's eyes before Rin breaks contact, hiding his dazzling blue eyes.

"We should, uh, probably get going," he says sheepishly. I nod and we continue on our way. As we walk he reaches out and wraps his hand around mine, grasping it lightly. I blush at the contact and we walk hand in hand. We reach the building and are soon at Mephisto's office. He lets go of my hand and looks at me.

"Well, I'll see ya later. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow or something," he says quietly. I smile, "I'd like that."

He nods and waves as he walks away, leaving me alone. I sigh and look at the door. I have a lot of things I need to sort out. I knock on the door and wait for a reply.

"Come in," I hear Mephisto say through the door. I open the door and walk in, closing it behind me. Mephisto looks from his paperwork and up to me, smiling when he sees me. "Ah, Brie there you are. I'm assuming you're here to find out where you'll be staying correct?" I nod. "Of course. Come, take a seat."

I make myself comfortable in the seat in front of his desk, facing him. He grins at me and I give a smile of my own in return.

"So," I begin, "I won't have to attend this school will I?"

"Yes actually. You'll start on Monday at True Cross Academy. Congratulations, I don't usually give out scholarships to strangers I've just met," he says with a smirk. "You'll also be attending the cram school to train to become an exorcist."

"What?! I can't be an exorcist!" I exclaim.

"Ah, but you can, and you will," he continues. "I've also decided to stick you in the same dorm as Rin and Yukio."

"What am I? An undesirable?!"

He laughs, "Not at all. Anyway, it's come to my attention that you will be needing new clothes since you clearly didn't bring any belongings to Gehenna with you."

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about the fact that I don't have anything but the clothes I have on. "So when am I going to get this stuff?"

"I'll be sending you with Amaimon this weekend, along with a credit card linked to my bank account." He frowns. "You're lucky my father favors you or else I wouldn't be giving you a dime."

"Gee, thanks."

"Anyway," Back to smiles, "have you remembered anything?"

"Oh, yeah actually," I recall the vision I had had. "I remember green and blue flames. They were almost fighting, for dominance. One would almost engulf the other, but then the other would grow and it would start over."

"Hmm, interesting," he murmurs with a calculating look. "You may be on your way now."

I get up and mumble a "rude clown" as I walk to the door.

"I heard that~"

I slam the door and walk away, heading to the place I had literally just left. This place is already exhausting...


	4. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brie's first day at True Cross Academy.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Mondays.

I hate them with a passion.

I groan as I hit the alarm clock next to my bed, silencing the annoying beeping sound. I push myself up off of the bed and drag my feet to the closet, grabbing one of the clean uniforms. I had complained to Mephisto about the way too short skirt, but he wouldn't give in on it. Pervert.

I leave my room and make my way to the shower room. Once I get there I set my things down, undress, and hop into the shower. I turn the water to cool, because it's a bit hot this morning, and let the water run down my body. I feel it rinse away the sweat and grime of the weekend that had gone by in a flurry of shopping and settling. I grab the shampoo bottle and squirt some into my long red hair, scrubbing away the grease and dirt. After scrubbing for a while, I rinse out the soapy bubbles and grab the conditioner. As I lather it into my hair I come to the realization that this is the first shower I've had since coming to True Cross. I rinse out the conditioner and am about to grab the soap when I hear a shout from in the hallway. I turn off the water and listen closely, hearing some footsteps outside the door. The sound of the door opening and the shuffling of feet causes me to peek around the shower curtain. I see Yukio. Undressing. Shit.

"Y-Yukio?" I speak up, causing him to jump and spin around. His eyes widen as he spots me.

"Brie! W-What are you doing here?" he asks, averting his gaze from my naked body.

"W-Well when I went to see where I would be staying, Mephisto told me I'll be rooming here," I say with a tinge of embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I was so busy this weekend with settling in and all that I forgot to tell you. I am so sorry."

"It's fine. Really. I'll just, uh, leave you to your shower," he says quickly, grabbing his things and rushing out the door. I shrug and turn the shower back on, washing my body with lots of soap. I turn the water off and get out, drying off and getting dressed. I leave the shower room and walk to my room, passing Yukio in the hallway. He nods and blushes, causing me to giggle.

When I get to my room I blow-dry my hair and straighten it. Then I take two strands of hair from either side of my head and braid them, connecting them in the back. I then put some foundation on my face, followed by mascara and black eyeliner. I finish with lipstick as red as my flame colored hair. I smile at myself in the mirror, happy with my work. With a wink at my reflection I grab my bag and head out to the cafeteria.

"Hey Kuro," I greet the cat demon with a smile. He raises his head and meows before jumping from his perch on the table to my shoulder. I laugh and pet his head, causing him to pur in delight. I walk to the kitchen window and peek through to see Ukobach on the counter, cooking breakfast. "Hi Ukobach."

The little demon looks up at me in confusion, raising an eyebrow as if to ask 'what are you doing here?'. I smile and explain to him how I'm rooming here now, to which he smiles and nods. His smile soon disappears as he looks down at the food he's making and then back at me. He makes a series of noises that sound as if he's scorning me. By the way he keeps gesturing to the food and me, I'm guessing he's saying something like 'why didn't you tell me sooner? now I have to make more food!'. I giggle and give an apology.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to cook for me, I can just get something myself," I say. He waves his hands and shakes his head as if to say 'nonsense!'. I giggle at him and he shoos me away so that he can cook. I walk to the table and take a seat, Kuro jumping from my shoulder and back onto the table. I look at the clock hanging above the entrance. It's almost seven. School doesn't start until seven-thirty so I have plenty of time. I look around the room, humming a tune to pass the time. After humming the first verse I start singing.

Monster,

how should I feel?

Creatures lie here,

looking through the windows.

That night he caged her,

bruised and broke her.

He struggled closer,

then he stole her.

Violet wrists and then her ankles,

silent pain.

Then he slowly saw their nightmares,

were his dreams.

Monster,

how should I feel?

Creatures lie here,

looking through the window.

I will,

hear their voices.

I'm a glass child,

I am Hannah's regret.

Monster,

how should I feel?

Turn the sheets down,

murder ears with pillow lace.

There's bath tubs,

full of glow flies.

Bathe in kerosene,

their words tattooed in his veins.

When I finish I hear a shuffling from behind me. I turn and see Yukio, mouth gaping open. I laugh at his appearance which seems to snap him out of his dazed state. He blushes and clears his throat.

"You have a beautiful voice," he says as he looks toward the ground. I smile at his shy composure.

"It's not all that," I say with another laugh. He shuffles his feet and then looks up at me.

"Sorry about earlier," he mumbles, a blush tinging his cheeks.

"You don't have to apologize. It's my fault I didn't tell you I was here," I reassure him. He smiles at me and is about to speak again when a bell sounds from inside the kitchen.

"Looks like breakfast is ready," Yukio says, walking to the kitchen window. I follow him and find two plates of pancakes and a plate of toast sitting on the window.

"The pancakes are for us, the toast is for Rin," Yukio explains, grabbing a plate of pancakes. I nod and and grab the other plate. I walk over to the table and sit down. I grab the fork that's sitting on my plate (Thank God, a fork!) and take a bite.

"I didn't know people ate pancakes in Japan," I think aloud through a mouthful of food.

"Most people don't, but Ukobach likes to experiment with food from everywhere," says Yukio.

"Oh. So, why does Rin just get toast?" I ask.

"Rin is always late, so he eats a breakfast-on-the-go," he replies as he finishes his food. He gets up and takes his plate to the kitchen before turning back to me.

"Well, I'm off," he says and waves a hand before walking out the door. I wave back and then finish off my food. I take my plate to the kitchen.

"Thanks Ukobach, it was really good," I say with a smile. He looks up from the dishes he's doing and smile back. "Well, see ya later."

I walk away from the kitchen and head out the door, waving goodbye to Kuro who only yawns in reply. I laugh and make my way to the school, spotting lots of other students on the way. When I get to the school I go to the main office and they give me my schedule. I wander around the school for a bit until I find my class. Once in class I take a seat near the back, trying not to be noticed. Class starts and the teacher calls me to the front of the room.

"Class, this is Brie. She's a new transfer student from America," says the teacher as I reach the front of the class. "Please introduce yourself Brie."

"Hi, um, I'm Brie. It's nice to meet you all," I say with a small smile to the class. They all stare at me, some smiling at me kindly and others looking on with bored expressions. Some of the guys are checking me out. Jeez.

"Alright, you may take your seat now Brie," says the teacher and I gladly go back to my seat. Just as the teacher is about to start lecturing, a frantic Rin bursts through the door, panting and trying to catch his breath. He looks at the teacher apologetically, to which she only frowns. "Ah, Mr. Okumura. Nice of you to join us this morning."

Rin looks to the floor guiltily and walks to the empty seat next to me. He looks at me and smiles sheepishly. I giggle and turn back to the teacher, who has started her lecture. I grab my notebook and start to take down notes, grateful for something normal in my recently screwed up life.


	5. Cram School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin made her late on her first day...

When the final bell rings, students rush out in a flurry of papers and backpacks. I'm still getting my things together when the last kid gets out the door. The teacher watches impatiently as I finish packing and stand to leave. The door slams behind me once I'm out. I turn and glare at the door, hoping if I stare hard enough I'll burn a hole in it. Unfortunately it doesn't happen.

I sigh and make my way to my locker, observing the decor, or in this case lack of, of the school. There are no posters on the walls like in my school. No signs talking about after-school activities or announcing upcoming events. It's plain and empty, giving off an almost depressing vibe. Which is odd considering it's Mephisto's school, and he's anything but plain. As I turn the next corner I spot Rin leaning against my locker, twirling his dark hair around his finger. He hasn't noticed me yet so I take this chance to look closer at his features.

Rin is not hot, but more cute. His skin is tan and looks soft, making me want to reach out and touch it. His nose small and pointed, but not so much so that it's unattractive. His eyes are a deep blue, like the deepest depths of the ocean. They are distant at the moment, which means he's most likely daydreaming. His hair is messy and unkempt, but still looks cute on him. I doubt he even brushes it in the morning. It's color is that of a raven's feathers, black but also blue at the same time. The ears that hide beneath his hair are pointed at the top, a trait I'm guessing he got from his demon father. Apart, his features would be unattractive, but together they create something adorable.

I look back at his eyes only to find them staring back at me. How long have I been staring at him? How long has he  _known_  I've been staring at him? A deep blush darkens my cheeks as I begin to walk toward him, hoping he won't say anything about it. Unfortunately, he does.

"What were you starin' at, Brie?" he asks, amusement evident in his voice. "Enjoying the view?"

"In your dreams," I snap as I open my locker. "I was just thinking about how dumb you look standing here. What I didn't need to go to my locker after school? What then?"

His cheeks turn red as he stumbles for an answer. "Well, um, I would, uh..."

I chuckle at his nervous demeanor, a big change from the confidence he had shown previously. I can tell that Rin is the kind of guy who tries to act cool but is really just a big goofball. Not that I would change that about him, it only adds to his adorableness.

"So, you ready for cram school?" he asks.

"Cram what?" I reply with a frown.

"Cram school? The exorcist school?" he questions, raising a brow at me. "Mephisto said he enrolled you."

I groan and bang my head against my now closed locker. "He was serious when he said that? I don't want to go to some exorcist school!"

"Oh, come one! It's fun!" he says before trailing off. "Most of the time at least..."

"Maybe I could just skip and-"

"Nuh uh. If I have to go,  _you_ have to go," he says as he pulls at my arm, leading me out of the school. I groan and complain the whole way, but he doesn't give me any slack. Eventually I give up and just walk with him, though he doesn't loosen his grip on my arm. Soon we stop at a wall that's raised off the ground. Letting go of my arm, Rin jumps over the wall and lands with his feet firmly on the ground.

"Come on," he says, looking up at me. "Jump."

"Jump? Are you crazy?" I ask in disbelief. "I'll die."

He rolls his eyes at me, a small smirk on his face. "You're not gonna die. I'll catch you."

He holds his arms out and I look nervously at the distance between the top of the wall to the ground. Hesitantly, I climb onto the wall's top and look down. The distance to Rin isn't that big but it's not small either. Just when I'm about to chicken out, I lose my footing and topple off the wall. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see the ground rushing toward me. Expecting death, I'm surprised when I land in Rin's arms. I slowly open my eyes and look up to see a grinning Rin.

"Told you you wouldn't die," he says.

"Alright so maybe I was being a little dramatic," I admit, averting my eyes from his his. He laughs and lets me down onto my own two feet. I follow him to a door built into the wall I had just fallen off of and he slides a key into it's lock. When he opens the door I follow him inside, surprised by the stain glass decorations that line the walls. It's an improvement from the lack of decorations in the normal school.

"I think I'm gonna start calling you Humpty Dumpty," Rin says as we walk down the hall.

"What? Why?" I ask, slightly pouting.

"Because of the way you fell off that wall," he says as he throws me a grin over his shoulder.

"You're never gonna let me live that down," I groan when we get to the classroom door.

"Nope."

We enter the classroom, gaining the stares of the other students. The teacher in the front of the room, who I notice is Yukio, eyes us as we walk in. I follow Rin to a table and sit next to him. A blonde girl sits on the other side of him and I give her a friendly smile, which she returns shyly. I look back to Yukio at the front of the room. He sighs before he speaks.

"Rin, Brie, care to explain why you were late?" he asks, pushing up his glasses.

"Late?!" I shout, causing the rest of the class to jump. I turn to Rin in agitation. "You made me late?!"

He gives me a sheepish smile and says, "I'm not the most reliable when it comes to being on time."

I groan and look back to Yukio, who's smiling slightly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know when the class started and  _thought_  I could rely on Rin to get me there on time."

Yukio smiles at me and shakes his head. "I'll let you off the hook this time, but only because it's your first day."

"Thank you so much," I sigh in relief. With that, Yukio begins class. It's actually pretty interesting learning about demons. I never knew there were so many different kinds. I listened, fascinated, the entire class. All too soon the bell for the end of class rings, dismissing us. I pack up the notebook I had been taking notes in and the new textbook I had been given. Some of the students walk up to me while others leave. I recognize the boys I had met a few days back, Bon, Shima, and Miwa.

"Hey there, foreign girl," Shima says with a wink. "You're cute when you're mad."

Bon hits him in the head. "Knock it off Shima."

"I apologize for Shima," Miwa says as he rubs his head. "He can get a bit out of hand sometimes."

"It's okay," I laugh. "I'm used to being flirted with."

"So your name's Brie?" a girl with purple hair and a sour face asks.

"Brie Renee Tenors if you're looking for my full name," I say with a smile.

"I'm Izumo Kamaki. I came to talk to you because I thought you were more like me," she says with a blank face. "It seems I was wrong..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I question, not sure if I should be mad or not.

"It means you aren't on my level so I'm not going to associate myself with you," she says bitterly.

I frown at her. "Whatever. I wouldn't wanna be like you anyway." She glares before turning on her heel and leaving, sticking her chin up in pride.

"What a bitch," I mutter. The others around me just nod their heads. The blonde who sat next to Rin smiles at me and holds out a hand, which I gladly take.

"Hello. My name is Shiemi Moriyama," she says with a smile. "Don't worry about Kamaki, she's always like that."

Together, we make our way as one big group out of the cram school building, chatting and getting to know more about one another. Eventually we split ways as we head to our separate dorms, leaving only me and Rin. When we get to our own dorms we too split ways, him heading to his room while I head to mine. I plop onto my bed and run through the day. Overall it had been a good one. I decide that I like the people here...except that Kamaki girl. She's a bitch. But beside her everyone else seems nice. Maybe this exorcist school thing won't be so bad after all.


	6. Temptaint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hobgoblin bite.

"Today Brie will receive her temptaint," Yukio says with a glance in my direction.

"What's a temptaint?" I ask, confusion probably plain on my face.

Bon answers my question. "A temptaint is when you first come into contact with a demon, allowing you to see them."

"But I've already come into contact with a demon," I say.

"You have?" Yukio asks. "What demon?"

"Amaimon."

The rest of the class gapes at me and I realize maybe I shouldn't have said that. It didn't follow well with my cover story and may lead to the other students being suspicious of me. Oh well, guess it's too late now.

"Amaimon is a higher level demon. He can choose whether or not he wishes to be seen by someone without a temptaint," Yukio says, seemingly unfazed by my previous statement. I nod and he continues, "Now if you would please come up to the front of the class, Brie."

I stand and slowly walk to the front of the room, trying to ignore the stares from the class. As I approach Yukio he pulls a cage out from the bottom of his desk, setting it on top. As far as I can tell it's empty and I give Yukio a confused look.

"Put your hand through the bars," he says with a gesture to the cage.

I look nervously at the cage and hesitantly reach my hand out, glancing at Yukio for some kind of reassurance. He gives me a small encouraging smile that helps to calm me down. When my hand makes it way between the bars I hold it there for a second, but I don't feel anything. Just as I'm about to question this I feel a sharp pain in my hand.

"Fuck!" I curse and pull my hand out, holding it to my chest. With further inspection I find small teeth marks on the top and bottom of my hand, all of them slowly leaking blood. I look back at the empty cage only to find it no longer empty. Sitting inside there is now a creature, small and somewhat round, almost looking like a ball with arms and legs attached. It's looking at me and I stare back at it. Slowly it crouches into a defensive position and growls at me. To my surprise I growl back, low and guttural, only now noticing that I'm also crouched into an attack position.

"Brie?" Yukio asks. "Are you alright?"

I quickly jump from the position and blush from embarrassment. "Um, yeah. I'm fine."

"Alright, let's get that bite patched up," he says with a nod. "It shouldn't be too bad since it was just a little hobgoblin."

After my hand is all bandaged I sit back down next to Rin at our table. He gives me worried stare before returning his attention to Yukio. The rest of the class goes by quickly and is uneventful. Once cram school ends I decide to head into the town park to relax and think.

Sitting on a bench I recall the events that took place earlier today. Why had I growled at that...what had Yukio called it? A hobgoblin? Why had I acted that way? I don't know what came over me, it just happened. But, for a second, it had almost felt natural. Maybe I was just going crazy. I wouldn't doubt it considering all that had happened lately.

Rin had asked if I was okay after class and I assured him I was. When he asked me about why I did what I did, I told him I wasn't sure, that it just kind of happened. He dropped the subject after that, but still seemed worried about me.

I blow at one of the weird cat-like demons floating in the air. Now that I had gotten my temptaint I saw that they were everywhere. Yukio had explained to me that they're called coal tar and are attracted to darkness. They're kinda cute in my opinion, but others seem to just find them annoying.

What I hadn't told Rin was that I had heard something, something in the back of my mind at that moment when the hobgoblin had growled at me. It had sounded like a voice, scratchy and barely audible. I hadn't said anything about it to Rin because I thought I was just hearing things, and maybe I was, but now I couldn't get it out of my head.

It had said,  _"_ _Step away from me, human."_

I repeat it over in my head, hoping that maybe if I do I'll come up with an explanation. When nothing comes to mind I give up with a groan, hanging my head down in defeat.

"You seem stressed."

I pull my head back up and stare into two dark green eyes.

"You could say that," I chuckle.

"I heard that you received your temptaint today," Amaimon says, sitting next to me on the bench.

"Yep, I can now see demons." I twirl my finger in the air. "Yippee."

He smiles at my sarcastic enthusiasm. "How did it go?"

"Pretty well I guess, though the little shit did put a nice couple of holes in my hand," I reply as I hold up my bandaged hand.

Amaimon laughs and stands. "You haven't seen anything yet. Imagine what this guy could do to you," he says with a snap, suddenly making a much larger version of the hobgoblin I'd seen today appear. I stare at the beast with wide eyes, standing in an attempt to get away from it. Before I can move away though, a hand grips my arm and pulls me up onto the top of the thing.

"Don't worry," Amaimon says, "Behemoth won't hurt you."

Without warning Behemoth starts moving, gaining speed with every passing second. In fear of falling off I latch my arms onto Amaimon's midsection, securing myself. As we ride I hear something in the back of my head again, this time it's lower and sounds like a snicker.

_"Something about you is off, human. I don't like it."_


	7. Meister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shura's here.

"Hurry up," Shura, one of the instructors at the cram school, snaps over her shoulder.

I sigh as I jog to catch up to her. It's Saturday, which means no school, and I had been hoping to sleep in. Unfortunately my hopes were crushed when the spunky instructor had barged into my room, scaring me shitless and causing me to fall off my bed. All she told me was that I needed to get dressed and follow her. When I questioned why she only gave an annoyed look. So, without much choice, I did as she said.

So now here I am, following the under-dressed exorcist through the campus of True Cross. Eventually we reach a small outdoor training area and Shura turns on her heel, facing me. She puts her hands on her hips and eyes me up and down, frowning. Finally, she sighs and begins to talk.

"There are five types of meisters," she begins. "The types are tamer, knight, dragoon, aria, and doctor. My job today is to find out which type of meister you are."

"You don't seem too excited to have that job," I say with a smile tugging at my lips.

"I want to be out here on a Saturday about as much as you do," she replies with another sigh. "But unfortunately Mephisto wants  _me_  to do this."

"Sorry about it," I say with a shrug.

She rolls her eyes and hands me a piece of paper. There's a small circle made of intricate designs on it. When I look to her in question she speaks.

"The first meister type is tamer," Shura says. "Tamers use demons, also known as familiars, to fight for them. To summon a familiar you need a magic circle, that paper in your hand, your blood, and an appropriate appeal."

"Appropriate appeal?"

"You must be strong," Shura says seriously. "If your familiar feels that you are weak, it will turn on you. If that ever happens, rip the magic circle up, it will break the summoning."

I look at the paper in my hand and then back to Shura. "You said I need my blood?"

The red-head nods and holds out a needle to me. I take it and prick myself, watching as a drop of blood escapes through the hole in my skin. I am about to attempt to summon when Shura interrupts me.

"You have to put the blood  _on_ the magic circle," she says with a sigh. "Baka..."

"Oh," I say and smear the blood onto the paper in my hand. "Now what?"

"Just call out for a demon," she says, the tone in her voice making it seem like I should've known that.

I'm not sure what exactly I'm supposed to say, but decide I better say something before Shura gets impatient. "Um, hello?" Shura groans and I try again, attempting to sound strong and confident. "I am Brie Tenors, and I am calling to any demon willing to be my familiar. If you believe you are worthy of me, and I am worthy of you, show yourself."

I wait in silence and stare at the paper, hoping it will work. After a few moments of silence, though, I hang my head in defeat. Shura shrugs and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, it looks like-"

The instructor is interrupted when a whirlwind forms around the paper in my hand. I look on with wide eyes as something small and agile appears from nowhere, landing on the ground in front of me. I am too shocked to speak, but Shura laughs and pats, or rather hits, my back.

"Would you look at that?" she laughs rather loudly.

I stare at the demon, the demon I summoned, in front of me. It's a small cat with horns on its head, like Kuro, but this one has pure white fur and dazzling blue eyes. It looks at me and sits on its hind legs.

_"I am Ren, and I will be your familiar, Brie Tenors."_

I gasp when the voice enters my head. Any other time I would have brushed it off as hearing things, but this cat was looking straight at me, and it had said my name.

"It talked in my head!" I squeak.

Shura smiles. "That's natural with a familiar. Usually only demons can communicate telepathically, but when a human has a familiar, the demon creates a link with it so that they are able to communicate."

I nod at her explanation and kneel down to the cat in front of me. "Hello, Ren. I'm glad to have you as my familiar."

"You know," Shura says, and both I and Ren look up at her, "you guys look like a match. Blue eyes, light hair, kinda angelic if you ask me."

I look back to Ren, trying to see the connection Shura does. My eyes go wide when I realize she's right. If I had white hair, or if Ren had blonde fur, we would be almost the same. I smile and reach my hand out to the cat demon cautiously, stopping not far from her head. She smiles and I hear laughter resound in my head.

_"It's alright to touch me, Brie."_

My smile widens and I reach farther so that my hand reaches her head. As I pet her I begin to wonder how this tiny demon will help me in a fight. She's not very big and not very intimidating, so how will she help?

"Um, just wondering, how do you fight?" I ask, hoping I don't offend her.

_"I grow much larger than this."_

"Can I see?"

She nods and I stand and back away from her. I watch as she grows from the tiny cat she had just been, to a much larger one about eight feet in height. Her horns have also grown in height and sharpness, looking more menacing than before. To add to the effect she puts on a feral snarl, making her a tiny bit scary.

"That's awesome!" I yell up at her.

 _"Thank you,"_ she speaks into my mind as she shrinks back down.

"Alright then," Shura speaks up for the first time in a while. "We need to test and see if you have potential in any other meister type. Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~LATER~~~~~~~~~~

"So, in the end, you are potentially capable of being a tamer and a dragoon," Shura says, hands on her hips.

The sun is low in the sky now and the blue is beginning to fade, instead making way for the colors of the sunset. We had trained all day, testing my abilities for each type.

"Overall though, you aren't too bad," the spunky instructor continues with a smile.

"Thanks," I reply and return the smile.

"Now get out of here and relax for the rest of the day," she snaps with a glance at her watch. Walking away I hear her mumble to herself, "Or what's left of it, that is."

Slowly, I make my way back to the dorm. Once inside I find Rin and Yukio at one of the tables in the cafeteria, eating dinner. Rin seems to not notice me, too wrapped in eating, and Yukio is grading tests. I figure I'll just go to bed now and see them tomorrow, but then Rin notices me and waves. I wave back and make my way to the table.

"Hey Brie! I heard you were training today," Rin says with a grin. "Anything exciting happen?"

"Well, Shura took me to find out what kind of meister I am," I say.

"Ooooh! Are you a knight like me?" he asks excitedly.

"No, sir. I'm a tamer and a dragoon," I say with pride. As I say this Ren jumps up onto the table, observing Rin and Yukio. I gesture to her. "This is Ren, my familiar."

"She's like Kuro!" Rin shouts with a smile.

"A cat sith, huh?" Yukio says, looking from his papers. "That's great, Brie. She even has two tails, which means she's lived for awhile."

 _"Is he calling me old?"_ Ren asks me as she glares at Yukio. I laugh and the boys at the table look at me. I give Yukio a scolding look.

"Never bring up a woman's age, Yukio," I say seriously, but can't help to laugh.

"Oh, sorry," he says with a small blush. "You said you're also a dragoon?"

I beam at him and nod my head. "Uh huh! Shura says I have really good aim."

"Let me know if you ever need extra help," Yukio says with a small smile.

I nod and we continue to talk for awhile. Eventually I begin to get tired and my eyes are drooping shut as we talk. Rin notices this and walks me to my room, saying I need to sleep after working so hard today. Halfway there I collapse from exhaustion, the events of today taking a harder toll on me than I thought. Rin sighs and picks me up, carrying me bridal style. I would usually blush from this, but right now I'm too tired to care.

We reach my room and he takes me inside, not bothering to turn the light on. Carefully, he lays me in my bed and covers me with a blanket. I snuggle deeper into the comfort of my bed and begin to drift. Before I'm fully gone, though, I feel Rin kiss my forehead.

"Goodnight, Brie."


	8. Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brie's a badass.

I wake up to sunlight filtering through my window, lighting up the backs of my eyelids. I almost want to go back to sleep, or lay in my bed all day, bathing in the warm sunshine, but I know I should get up. With a sigh I push the covers off of me and sit up, opening my eyes slowly so that they can adjust to the light. I glance at the clock that reads 10:30 AM. Not too bad, I've gotten up way later before.

After taking a quick shower, I make my way to the cafeteria, hoping I'm not too late for breakfast. Ukobach is there in the kitchen, doing dishes I'm guessing are from breakfast. When he sees me I smile and he returns it.

"I was hoping I wasn't too late for breakfast," I say with a sigh.

Ukobach's eyes widen and he shakes his head, making gestures with his hands. The problem is I don't know what he's saying.

_"He's saying it's fine, he can cook more."_

I turn my head and see Ren sitting at my feet. I smile, glad she was able to translate for me, and turn back to Ukobach. "No, no, that's fine. I'll just grab something from town."

Ukobach makes some more gestures and Ren translates for me.  _"Are you sure? It wouldn't be any trouble for me."_

"Yeah, I'm sure," I assure him. I begin to walk away, Ren at my heels. "Bye, Ukobach."

 _"He said to have a nice day,"_ Ren says.  _"So, where are we going?"_

"Into town to get breakfast," I reply to her. "So, have you met Kuro yet?"

I hear her sigh in my head.  _"Yes, he won't stop following me around."_

"He lllllllikes you," I laugh. She replies with a glare, but I only laugh more.

Eventually, we make it to town and find a small restaurant that's still serving breakfast. I order for Ren and myself and we wait for our food. Our table is by a window so I stare outside as we do so. My mind wanders as I watch the people outside walk by, going about their usual business. I think about how strange everything has been lately. First, I end up in Gehenna somehow and scare the devil himself. Then, I'm taken back to Assiah, only to find myself enrolled in a school in Japan, including an exorcist school. Once enrolled, I find out that I have potential to actually become a tamer and a dragoon. Then there's the fact that I'm hearing voices in my head, growled at a demon, and had some weird vision about blue and green flames.

I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't even notice someone is talking to me until I feel someone poke my arm, causing me to jump. I look up and find Bon looking down at me, a plate of food in his hand.

"Oh, hi Bon," I say. "I'm surprised to see you here."

He sets down the food in front of me and rubs the back of his head. "Yeah, I work here part-time when I can."

"That's cool, I never thought an exorcist would need a job, but I guess it makes sense when I think about it."

"So, what are you doing here, don't you have Ukobach to cook for you?" he asks and takes a seat at the table.

"Yeah," I say as I take a bite, "but he was already doing dishes from breakfast and I didn't want him to have to dirty up more dishes because of me."

Bon smiles and nods at my response, standing as he does so. "Well, I better get back to work before I get yelled at. See ya later, Brie."

"Bye bye, Bon," I say with a wave.

 _"What's up with his hair?"_ Ren mind-speaks to me. I can't help but laugh loudly at her comment, earning some stares from other customers. I blush and look down at my food, rushing to finish it and get out of the crowded building.

When Ren and I are done eating our food, I pay the bill and we leave, waving at Bon as we do. I don't want to go back to the dorm yet, so I start to wander around town. I find out that there are lots and lots of shops, all selling different things. One shop I see is selling merchandise for some show. I swear I see Rin's face on one of the shirts in the window, but before I can look closer I hear a scream from down the street. Swinging my head in the direction of the scream, I see something that freezes me on the spot.

It's a huge hobgoblin, even bigger than the surrounding buildings. It's so big, I don't understand how nobody saw it before. Then I remember that only people with a temptaint can see demons, so nobody would have seen it. I can only imagine how scary that would be. I mean, seeing a demon is pretty scary, but not being able to see what's right in front of you seems scarier.

Right now, only one person, a woman, is screaming at the beast, others only look on as if she's crazy. It's only when the hobgoblin raises its huge paw and hits the woman, sending her flying against a building, that I unfreeze and run. But instead of running away, like I expect myself to do, I'm running toward the woman, toward the huge demon.

When I get to the woman I kneel next to her, hoping I can help. She has a huge gash across her stomach, leaking blood all around her. She looks terrified, her eyes staring straight ahead as she reaches her hand toward the wound. There are tears spilling from her eyes, mixing with the blood on her face. Her eyes suddenly look straight into mine, fear and pain evident in them.

"Help me...please..."

"It's okay. You're going to be okay," I tell her, pushing my hands over the wound to try and stop the blood flow. I look around for help. "Someone, help! Please, I-I can't stop the blood!"

Someone rushes toward me, Bon, stripping off his shirt and giving it to me.

"What are you doing here, Bon?" I ask as I push the shirt against the woman's stomach.

"Heard a ruckus, and it didn't sound good, so I ran down here," he answers, facing the demon. He looks back at me. "Where's your familiar?"

 _"Right here,"_ Ren speaks to me, appearing by my side.

Bon nods at her. "Can you hold off this thing while I speak its fatal verse?"

Ren looks at me, seemingly asking permission, and I nod. She returns the nod and instantly grows to her more intimidating size, turning toward the hobgoblin in an attack stance. Bon begins the verse and Ren defends him as the goblin attacks. I look back to the woman, leaving the demon to Ren and Bon.

Her eyes are closed and her breathing is becoming more shallow, not a good sign. I shake her and she opens her eyes, looking up at me.

"You can't go to sleep now. Please, just stay awake for a bit longer," I plead with her.

Her eyes begin to droop again. "I don't know if I can. I'm so...tired..."

"No, you have to stay awake," I beg. "Tell...Tell me about yourself. Do you have kids?"

Her eyes brighten slightly. "Yes, two of them. A boy...and a girl."

"Yeah? What are their names?"

"Haruhi and...Senji," she says with a small smile. "She's six, and he's fifteen."

"Fifteen, huh? He a handful?" I ask, desperately trying to keep the woman awake.

She gives a weak laugh. "Well...he is a teenager..."

"Where are they now?" Her eyes are starting to droop again, and I can feel her breathing begin to get shallower. "With dad?"

She's looking at the sky now, eyes distant. "Do you believe in Heaven?"

I consider it for a moment. I had been an atheist before this experience, but I suppose if there is a Satan, there must God. "I think so."

"Do you think I'll go there?" she asks.

"You're not going anywhere. You're going to live, you're going to be okay," I almost shout, tears beginning to blur my vision.

She looks me in the eyes. "Do you think they'll be okay without me?"

"You're not going to die!" I shout, holding back a sob.

She gives me a sad smile. "Yes, you're right. But can you do me a favor?" Her eyes are dimming, her breathing slow. I nod, tears beginning to spill over, leaving wet trails on my cheeks. "Tell them...tell them I love them. Please...?"

I nod and can't hold back the sob anymore. "Yes. Yes, I'll tell them."

She stares back at the sky, closing her eyes. "Thank you, that's all I want. Thank you, thank you...so much..."

And then her breathing stops, along with her heart. I sob and lay my head onto her stomach, my tears mixing into the blood. This woman, this innocent woman, is dead. All because some demon decided to kill her. She had children, two of them, a boy and a girl, Haruhi and Senji, six and fifteen. So young, and now to have their mother ripped away from them by some goblin. They would grow up without a mother, without her loving caress.

From the grief, another feeling rises within me. I lift my head and look at the still-raging battle. Ren is still protecting Bon, who is speaking at a very quick pace. The goblin continues to attack over and over, each attack more desperate than the last. It knows it's going to die, and it doesn't want that to happen. The feeling in me feels like anger, but stronger, and I can't place it.

Then I realize what it is. A feeling I've never felt before.

Pure hatred.

I stand and walk over to Bon and stand beside him. He glances at me, but continues to speak the fatal verse. As he does so, something overcomes me, and I slap my hand over Bon's mouth, silencing him. He gives me a shocked expression and I just glare. Without another word I step forward toward the battle between Ren and the goblin.

 _"Ren. Stop attacking. Now,"_  I speak to her.

 _"Are you crazy?! I can't stop! It'll attack you and Bon!"_ she yells back.

 _"Fine then,"_ I say as I take the magic circle from my pocket.  _"I'll see you later, Ren."_

I rip up her paper and, with one last shocked glance from her, she disappears. Nothing stands between me and the hobgoblin now, and we stare at each other. It snarls at me and I hear its voice in my head.

_"That was foolish of you, human. How are you to protect yourself now?"_

"I can protect myself!" I shout. "I refuse to let you die..." It gives me a strange look, but then I finish the sentence. "...by any hand that isn't mine. That woman's death was the last straw.  _I_  am going to kill you."

Its laugh echoes through my head.  _"Idiotic human. You cannot beat my all by yourself. You are not strong enough."_

"That's where your wrong," I say with a smirk. "I'm much more powerful than I appear." As I speak, a long bow made of pure light forms in my hands. I grip it tightly and meet the demon's eyes as I reach behind me and pull an arrow from the quiver that is now slung over my shoulder. "You are about to regret ever coming to this world, demon."

I pull the arrow back and, with a small smile, release it and send it flying toward the demon. The goblin's eyes become wide as the arrow approaches, and it tries to dodge away, but it's far too late. The arrow hits the beast, slicing into it. The light of the arrow spreads around the goblin until its entire body is a ball of light.

"Burn in Hell for the rest of your pitiful existence," I say, and the goblin explodes into a million pieces, dead.

And then everything goes black.


	9. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, what?

_I'm back in town, walking down the street. Ren is trotting beside me, looking curiously at all of the shops. I smile and continue my walk, also glancing at the many shops. The sun is out and the sky is blue, only a few puffy clouds are scattered here and there. It's a perfect day._

_Almost too perfect._

_"HELP ME!"_

_I spin around and see a huge hobgoblin, the same one I had seen earlier that day. In front of it, stands the same woman from before, eyes wide with shock. But this time, there are two children by her side. A boy around my age and a small girl. I place their names almost instantly._

_Haruhi and Senji, six and fifteen._

_I race toward the demon and family, but with every step, I feel like I'm getting farther away. I try to run faster, but nothing helps. I reach my hand out in front of me, though I know I can't reach them. I shut my eyes, straining myself to go faster, to get to them, to help them. Finally, my hand touches something and I open my eyes._

_"Please...help me..." the woman whispers. She is lying on the ground, the same wound on her stomach, blood pooling around her. Beside her are the two children, similar wounds across them. The little girl is already dead, and the boy is on his last breath. I drop to my knees, eyes filling with tears. Again, I had been unable to save the woman. And this time I couldn't save her children either. The woman dies, along with the boy, leaving only empty, soulless bodies._

_"Pathetic human, you could not even save them. How are you to save yourself?" the demon speaks to me._

_I look up at him, crying. Now that the family is dead, he'll come after me. As the thought runs through my head, he lifts his huge paw._

Brie...

_His face is twisted into a malicious grin._

Brie?

_He swings._

Brie!

_I brace myself for the hit._

"BRIE!"

My eyes fly open and I gasp, jerking upward. I look around me, trying to collect my thoughts. I'm in the school's infirmary, laying in a bed. Rin is at the bedside, a worried expression on his face. He reaches out and touches my arm.

"Are you okay?" he asks. I can't respond, my throat is choked up with held back sobs, and if I try to speak they'll escape. I nod in response, but my eyes are filling with tears. He jumps onto the bed and holds me close to him. "It's okay, Brie. You're okay."

I nod again as a sob escapes my mouth. We sit this way for several minutes, me crying and him trying to soothe me. He strokes my hair, murmurs of "it's okay" and "shh" leaving his mouth. After a while longer of this, I'm able to stop crying, but he doesn't pull away.

"What happened?" I whisper, wiping the salty tears from my face.

"You don't remember?"

"I remember going to town, and there being an attack. And then that woman-" I choke and stop talking.

"It's okay," he says again. "But...you don't remember anything else?"

I shake my head.

"You better prepare yourself then, because you pulled some crazy shit according to Bon," Rin says.

**~~~~~~~~~~LATER~~~~~~~~~~**

"I DID WHAT?!"

"You heard me," Bon says with a shrug. "I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't of been right there, witnessing it."

I look in shock at the pink and brown haired teen. "Why don't I remember this?"

"Beats me," he says with another shrug.

"That's crazy," I say, sinking back into the pillows of the hospital bed.

He smiles. "But when you remember how to do it, teach me, will ya? It was incredible! Took that guy out with one hit!"

I bite my lip and ask, "Have you told anyone else?"

"Only Rin-"

"Oh thank goodness."

"-and Mephisto," he finishes. Almost as if on cue, Mephisto walks into the room.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," I mutter under my breath.

"Oh, come now, Brie. That's not very nice to say," Mephisto says and I blush at being caught. "I need to speak with you..." He glances at the two boys. "...privately."

Rin glares at Mephisto. "As if, clown! I ain't goin' anywhere!"

"Rin," I say quietly, getting his attention, "you should probably go."

He droops at the comment. "Okay, I guess."

I kiss him on the cheek and he blushes, turning away to leave to try and hide it. Once the two boys are gone, Mephisto sits in one of the chairs and faces me. He looks at me for a moment and shakes his head.

"Oh, Brie. Why didn't you tell me?" he asks sadly.

"Tell you what? I don't even know what you're talking about," I reply.

"A young man came to the academy earlier," he says. "He was asking about you."

I give him a questioning look. "Young man? Who was he?"

"Ask him yourself. Maybe he'll tell  _you_ ," Mephisto answers.

At this, a man enters the room. He's tall and looks a few years older than me. He has sandy brown hair and light blue eyes, a nice contrast. He's wearing some black jeans and a white t-shirt, white tennis shoes on his feet. His body is nicely built from what I can tell, and overall he's pretty good looking. When he sees me his face lights up in a smile and he strides to the bed, pulling me into a hug.

"Oh, Brie!" he says as he holds me close to him. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried!"

"Um...who are you?" I ask awkwardly.

He pulls away quickly and looks at me in shock. "What are you talking about? It's me!"

"I'm sorry, am I supposed to know you?" I ask, somewhat embarrassed.

A look of sadness passes over the man's face. "So you really don't remember? I was worried this might happen..."

"I'm lost," I say with a glance at Mephisto, who gives me a knowing look, irritating me. What does the clown know that I don't?

The man sighs and sits down, facing me. "My name is Caleb, and I'm your brother. I came here to take you home, Brie."

"What are you talking about? I don't have a brother," I reply, eyeing the man oddly.

"I can't believe you don't remember. Do you even remember where you're from?" he asks, seeming to be frustrated.

"Yeah, America."

"No, not America," he groans.

I cross my arms. "Then where am I from?"

The man answers by pointing up. "Up there."

"...the floor above us?"

"Heaven! You're from Heaven!" he yells.

"...what?"

"You're an angel!"


	10. Memory Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm how old?

**_CALEB'S P.O.V._ **

Brie stares at me, her face a mixture of doubt and shock. She stares at me like I'm crazy for a full minute before speaking.

"Huh?"

I point at her. "You. Are. An." I put my hands into prayer position. "Angel."

"What the Hell do you mean I'm an angel?" she snaps.

"What do you mean what do I mean? I mean you're an angel!" I shout, growing more frustrated by the second. "When did you become so thick-headed?"

"Sorry, but things have been a bit hard to understand lately, ya know with being somehow transported to Hell and all!" she yells back.

I sigh and lean back in the chair. "This is getting us nowhere."

"I'm not an angel, and I'm not from Heaven," she says. "I'm a human being from America."

"Oh yeah?" I ask. "Tell me about your life back in America, then."

She glares at me. "Fine, I will."

I cross my legs and arms, gesturing her to start. "Go on then."

"Before all this happened, I lived in America with-"

"What state?"

She glares at me for interrupting her. "Excuse me?"

I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. "What state did you live in? In America, I mean."

She huffs and opens her mouth to answer, but she shuts it again when nothing comes out. She makes a confused face and I lean closer to her in my seat.

"Tell me about your parents," I say.

"My parents are Bethany and Jonathon Tenors," she says, looking proud.

I nod. "Alright. What do they look like?"

"That's easy. My mom has..." she trails off, confusion once again clear on her face.

"What about your school? Classmates? Friends? What's your neighborhood like?" I fire question after question at her, knowing already that she won't have the answers.

"I...I don't know," she whispers. She looks me in the eyes. "Why don't I know?"

Looking into her eyes, filled with sadness and loss, I feel bad for her. It pains me to see her like this, questioning her own memories, even if they are false ones. She is my sister after all, and I care deeply for her. All this time I had been worried about her, and all I had wanted to do was find her. I hadn't thought about what I would tell her when I did. Her eyes are filling with tears now, making my heart ache.

"Oh, how tragic," the demon, Mephisto, says. "The two siblings separated, and when finally reunited, one has lost all her memories."

"Shut your mouth, demon," I snap with a glare in his direction. I had tolerated him up until now, but only because he had helped me get to Brie. "I don't want to hear your sarcastic comments."

"Oh, don't go and get offended," he pouts. "Besides, it's not nice to be rude to the headmaster when you're standing in his own school."

"I don't care what you think is nice or not. The opinion of a low-life like you doesn't matter to me," I say.

Mephisto stands and looks down at me, face serious. "Don't go thinking you're all high and mighty, you halo-wearing freak. This is  _my_ school, and you  _will_  respect me."

"How about you make me, clown?" I growl, standing to meet him.

"Stop, please."

I look back to Brie. Tears are now streaming down her face and dripping onto the bed sheets under her. She looks so broken, I just want to embrace her until she feels better. I can't though, to her I'm just a stranger claiming to be her brother.

"Why don't I remember any of this?" she asks quietly.

I sigh and sit back down in the chair, pushing aside my anger at the demon for a moment. "Well, you were sent on a mission, a mission to destroy Gehenna and all of its residents, including Satan."

" _Kill_ Satan?"

"Yes," I reply with a nod. "You see, you're one of out strongest warriors...oh as if, you  _are_ our strongest warrior. So when the mission went into action, you were clearly the best option." She doesn't say anything, only stares at me. I continue, "You've been training for quite a long time, Brie. Nearly 150 years, I think."

"Wait," she stops me, "did you say 150?"

"Of course. How old do you think you are?" I ask her.

"17."

I can't help but laugh. "You haven't been that young for a long time. You're actually 213."

Her eyes widen and she looks horrified. "I'm so old!"

I roll my eyes. "Not really, at least not according to an angel's lifespan. Most angels live for about 1000 years, so you're still just a kid really."

"How old are you?" she asks. The tears have stopped flowing now, and she seems more curious than sad.

"376," I reply.

"How old does an angel live until they start looking aged?"

"Wait, wait. We need to get back to the subject of your memories," I say with a smile. "I can tell you all about the lifespan of an angel another time."

"Oh...right. Sorry," she says and looks at her hands.

"Anyway, you were sent on that mission, and we thought it was going to be a huge success. But unfortunately there was a traitor among us, and when you were flying there, you were intercepted. Whoever intercepted you changed you into a human temporarily and gave you false memories," I say and then take a deep breath. "I was so worried when we lost connection with you. It was like you had just disappeared. I didn't even know if I would be able to find you. Because of your human state I couldn't sense you, making it impossible to track you.

"But then I felt something, I sensed your power for just a second and was able to pinpoint it. I was so relieved, it meant you were okay. So then I found my way here and started asking people about you," I say.

"And that's when he met me," Mephisto says with a smirk. I glare at him but he continues anyway. "I had been making my rounds around the town and had seen him asking about someone, showing your picture around. I was curious, so I approached him, although he gave me a rather nasty look when I did. Still, he asked me if I had seen you-"

"I was desperate."

"-and I told him I had," he continues, ignoring my comment. "I brought him to the school and he explained who you actually are. I was somewhat upset though when he told me that you are an angel. I had been hoping to keep you here and make an exorcist out of you. But then again I suppose you already are, being an angel and all."

She looks at us both, an expression of calculation on her face. She sighs before speaking, "So, what now?"

"We're leaving and going home," I say, not sure how that wasn't obvious.

"Leaving?"


	11. Remember!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brie, remember who you are...

_**BRIE'S P.O.V.** _

"Leaving?"

We all turn our heads to the voice and see someone standing in the door.

"Rin," I say quietly.

"You're leaving? Why?" he asks, his face sad and confused.

I'm about to answer, but Caleb speaks before I can. "Because she needs to go back home, where she's around people like her," he practically snarls at Rin. "Not around a bunch of filthy demons. It's none of your business anyway, spawn of Satan."

I feel my face redden with anger. "You can't talk to him like that! He's my friend!"

"More like boyfriend," Mephisto says with a smirk.

Caleb is out of his chair and in Rin's face in an instant, grabbing him by his shirt. "How dare you deem yourself worthy of my sister! If you laid one hand on her I will make sure you regret the day your pitiful existence began!"

"All we did was kiss," I say with an eye roll.

Caleb slams Rin into the wall. "You kissed my sister!? I am going to-"

"Knock it off!" I yell. "Get your hands off of him!"

"He's a demon! A violent, cold-blooded murderer who will stop at nothing!" Caleb yells.

"The only one acting like a demon right now is you," I spit venomously.

Caleb flinches at the insult and lets go of the young demon in his grip. With one final glare at Rin, Caleb turns and sits back down in his chair. He eyes me with confusion and annoyance. "What's up with you? You would defend a demon?"

"Yeah I would."

"Brie, you hate demons," he says slowly. "All angels hate demons."

"Well, I don't hate demons," I snap. "At least not anymore."

Caleb looks irritated now. "You will when we get your memories back. Trust me, you have good reason to hate demons."

"And what reason is that?" I ask.

A hint of pain flashes into his eyes. "Because they killed our parents, Brie."

I pale, shocked at his words. "What?"

"Demons kill anything they want, whether it's necessary or not," he says quietly, eyes distant. "Even if the people they kill have a family and a life to go back to."

An image of the woman from town flashes through my head, blood-covered and empty. She had had children, two of them. Their names are Senji and Haruhi, ages 15 and 6.

"How did it happen?" I ask.

"You'll remember soon enough, and then everything will be back to normal," Caleb sighs.

"Maybe I don't want to remember," I whisper.

"What?" Caleb asks.

"Maybe I don't want to remember!" I shout, surprising everyone. "If I remember who I was before this, I'll hate some of the friends I have now," I mutter, quiet now. "I don't want to hate Rin, or Yukio, or Amaimon, or Ren, or Kuro, or Ukobach."

"Or me," Mephisto chimes in.

"I already hate you," I say dryly and continue. "Can't I just choose to not hate demons? Can't you just erase that part of my memory?"

"Brie, erasing that part of your memory will change your entire person," Caleb says, obviously not in favor of the idea.

"Then I guess all you angels up there are gonna have to get used to a different me," I say and cross my arms.

"You're being ridiculous!" he yells, standing from his chair. "I won't allow you to change who you are just so you can be friends with demons!"

"It's not your decision!" I yell back, also standing. "It's my life and my memories, not yours!"

"Stop being so childish!"

"I'm 17!"

"You're 213!"

"I don't care!" I scream. "17 or 213, it's still my life! And if I can't erase that part of who I am, then I won't remember at all!"

He takes a step back, shocked. "You wouldn't do that. You wouldn't ever remember everyone you've known. You wouldn't remember me, or mom or dad..."

The mom and dad comment causes a slice of pain to cut through my heart, but I ignore it. "I can make new memories. I don't need you or my memories. I have new friends to help me."

He stares in shock for another moment and then his face hardens into one of anger. "No. You're going to remember everything, whether you like it or not."

After he speaks he surprises Rin, Mephisto, and myself by suddenly sprouting huge white wings. I'm so distracted by the magnificent wings that I don't realize he's reaching toward me until he's already wrapped his arms around me, tight.

"You're coming home," he says, and then he takes off, crashing right through the large window of the infirmary.

"BRIE!"

I look back toward the window and see Rin reaching through the shattered window. Tears prick at my eyes as I look back at him, at the entire school. I may not have been here long, but it's the only place I have solid memories, memories of new friends and new experiences.

"RIN!" I scream back. I consider it for a moment and then scream, "MEPHISTO! HELP ME!"

"They can't help you, Brie," Caleb says as he flies straight up into the clouds. "If anything I'm the one helping you."

"You just took me away from my friends!" I yell, pounding my hands into his chest. "How is that helping me?!"

"You'll understand once you get your memories back."

"I don't want them back! So let me down, you son of a bitch!"

Caleb freezes midair and looks me in the eye. "What did you say?"

"I said to let me the fuck down!" I repeat. I notice that he flinched when I say fuck.

"Fine, you want down?" he asks.

"Yes!"

"Alright then."

And then I'm falling.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really dumb, I'm sorry.

**Brie: Someone needs to wake her up already.**

**Shima: But she looks so peaceful when she's asleep...**

**Rin: Yeah but she needs to write this chapter.**

**Amaimon: Maybe we could write it for her.**

**Mephisto: What a splendid idea!**

**Ren: Splendidly stupid more like it.**

**Kuro: I agree with Ren...right Ren?**

**Ren: *facepaw***

**Shima: I think it's a great idea! And then she can still sleep!**

**Brie: No way!**

**Rin: I think it'd be fun. Come on, Brie.**

**Brie: *sigh* Fine, I guess.**

**All: Aaaaand action!**

**Ren: This is gonna be a disaster...**

**CHAPTER 14: A CHAPTER BY THE CHARACTERS**

_**NOBODY'S P.O.V.** _

Amaimon watches with wide eyes as something with huge wings crashes through the infirmary window. He blinks and tries to get a closer look at the winged creature. When he does, he finds that it's a man with wings, but there is something in his arms. Amaimon puts his hands up to his eyes to create binoculars and looks closer.

"Brie?" he questions out-loud.

"BRIE!"

Amaimon turns his awesome hand-binoculars to the window and sees Rin, reaching out the shattered window with one hand.  _Baka_ _,_ Amaimon thinks,  _you obviously can't reach her._ He also sees Mephisto standing behind Rin, shaking his head and probably thinking the same thing as Amaimon.

"AMAIMON!" Brie yells at Amaimon. "PLEASE SAVE ME, MY LOVE!"

**Brie: Wait a second! That never happened!**

**Amaimon: *shrugs* It did now.**

**Brie: No way, give me that. *takes laptop***

"RIN!" Brie yells, not seeing Amaimon. She pauses and then yells, "MEPHISTO! HELP ME!"

"They can't help you," Caleb says, looking down at her. "If anything  _I'm_ the one helping you."

"You took me away from my friends and the only solid memories I have!" Brie yells at him. "How are you helping me?!"

"You'll understand when you get your memories back," he says.

"I don't want them back!" she screams. "So let me down, you son of a bitch!"

Caleb flinches at her dirty language, but sighs. "Fine then, I understand."

Caleb begins flying down back to the window and let's Brie down. "Goodbye, Brie."

**Caleb: That didn't happen either, Brie.**

**Brie: Well I don't care.**

**Caleb: You're supposed to follow along the story. *takes laptop* Watch.**

Brie screams as she plummets to the ground, regretting ever telling Caleb to let her down. Maybe she should have just listened to him instead of being such a brat, then this never would have happened. But now she is falling to her death and it's only her own fault for not listening to her loving brother.

"HELP ME!" Brie screams as she watches the ground get closer and closer to her. When she is about to hit the ground with a sickening crunch, she feels someone catch her. She looks up with tear-stained eyes and sees Caleb.

"I recommend you don't ask me to put you down again," he says.

"I'm sorry," Brie sobs, hugging Caleb. "You were right. I need to remember."

"I tried to tell you," he says. "Alright, get ready to remember."

Brie nods and shuts her eyes while Caleb leans down and kisses her on the forehead. The angel's kiss sends a burst of memories into Brie's mind and she gasps.

"I remember everything!" she yells and hugs Caleb tighter. "I'm sorry I was so unkind to you, Caleb."

"It's okay, Brie,"Caleb says with a smile as he lets Brie down. "You're back and that's all that matters."

Brie spreads out her wings and stretches them, smiling as she does so. "Can we go home now? The stench of demons here is repulsive."

"Of course," he says back. "But first, I want to tear apart that Rin guy for putting his hands on you."

"Sounds fun!"

And then Brie and Caleb tore Rin and the other demons apart, having a great time. And then they went home. The end.

**Others: ...**

**Caleb: What?**

**Brie: No fucking way am I letting you do that! *snatches laptop back***

**Shima: You already got to write! *takes laptop* It's my turn!**

Shima is minding his own business, walking through the campus and daydreaming. His mind is wandering so much that he doesn't notice the person in front of him and bumps into them.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Shima says and rubs the back of his head, looking at the person. Then he notices who it is and smiles widely. "Hi Gen-chan."

"Oh, hi Shima," she says with an irritated glance at him. "Thanks for bumping into me."

"I said I was sorry," he pouts. "I'm actually glad I bumped into you."

"I'm not," she mutters.

Shima puts his around her shoulders and pulls her close. "Oh, come on Gen-chan. Why can't you give me a chance?"

"Because you're a playboy," she answers sourly.

"That's only because I'm not with you," Shima says and then smiles. "At least, not yet."

Gen blushes lightly at the comment. "I think you mean not ever."

Shima pulls her closer and her blush darkens. "You don't know that."

Gen stays silent and Shima leans down to her face. She tries to turn away, but he turns her head back with his fingers. "Shima, stop it."

"Why?" he asks, staring at her lips.

"B-Because," she says quietly.

Shima leans closer until their lips are touching, and to his surprise Gen leans into the kiss. Her fingers reach for the buttons on his shirt and-

**Brie: *hits Shima in the head***

**Shima: What was that for?!**

**Rin: Shima...*shakes head***

**Shima: *pouts* But it was getting so good...**

**Caleb: You're sick.**

**Mephisto: My turn! *takes laptop***

Mephisto watches as Caleb flies away, Brie in his arms. He shakes his head as Rin reaches out the window toward her, shouting her name.  _Baka,_ Mephisto thinks,  _you can't reach her._

"RIN!" Mephisto hears Brie yell back. She seems to pause for a moment before she yells, "MEPHISTO! HELP ME!"

"How sweet," he says, "she said my name too."

Rin turns to him with fire in his eyes. "Shut up you stupid clown! Aren't you even worried?"

"Why should I be?" Mephisto asks. "She's going back where she belongs, with the goody goodies in the sky."

Rin's face turns sad. "Yeah, but..."

"But what? But you wanted her to stay here with you?"

"Well, yeah."

Mephisto smirks and walks closer to Rin. "Oh, you poor boy. You thought she like you didn't you?"

"..."

"It was all a part of her plan," he continues. "Angels are quite cruel despite their reputations."

"I don't believe you," Rin whispers.

"Hmmm?"

"I don't believe you!" he yells at Mephisto, who only smirks. "She didn't even know she was an angel until a couple minutes ago!"

"You could be right," Mephisto says with a nod. "Or she could have known the whole time and was just playing with your emotions."

Rin looks at Mephisto, who is very close now. "Why are you so close to me?"

"No reason at all, Rin," he replies with a smirk, leaning down into Rin-

**Rin: NO!**

**Mephisto: What's wrong? It was about to get good.**

**Rin: I know where you're taking this and I'm not letting you! *takes laptop***

Rin pushes Mephisto away. "Stupid clown! Get away from me!"

Rin punches Mephisto in the face and knocks him out, wiping that stupid smirk off of his face. Then, Rin runs to the window and jumps out, sprouting wings as he does.

"I'm coming Brie!" he yells, speeding up to catch up with Caleb.

Brie sees him coming and shouts to him, "Rin!"

Caleb looks down, eyes widening at the winged demon boy closing in on him. Rin grins as he finally catches up to the angel and punches him square in the face, sending him and Brie falling to the ground. Rin nosedives down and catches Brie, holding her bridal style.

Brie looks up into Rin's eyes and smiles. "I knew you would save me, Rin."

"I would do anything for you, Brie," he says back. "I love you."

"I love you too."

The two lean into a kiss, soft and sweet, but passionate.

And they live happily ever aft-

**Brie: Wait a second! You can't just end the story now!**

**Rin: But it's a happy ending!**

**Others: Not for us!**

**Me: *starts to wake up***

**Shima: She's waking up!**

**Me: How long was I out?**

**Brie: A day.**

**Me: What?! I gotta write a chapter!**

**Amaimon: We already wrote it for you.**

**Me: Oh, well that was nice of-wait what?**

**Ren: They decided to write the chapter for you since you were sleeping.**

**Me: Oh God no. *reads over chapter* What were you guys thinking?! I can't post this!**

**Mephisto: Sure you can.**

**Me: Nuh uh!**

**Shima: Well then we can!**

**Me: What? Wait no, Shima don't you dare press that button or I swear I will-**


	13. The Land of Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Heaven yo.

BRIE'S P.O.V.

A scream rips from my throat as I hurtle to the ground. I hold my arms out and try to grasp at anything, when in reality I know there's nothing there. I don't want to look down, don't want to see the ground coming toward me, so I look up instead. Caleb is still there, not moving, not diving down after me, only watching as I fall. I squeeze my eyes shut and take some comfort in the darkness of behind my eyelids. I can still hear the wind whistling past my ears and I know I'm going to hit the ground soon.

I know what he's waiting for, that son of a bitch. He's waiting for me to yell for help, for his help. I don't want to give him what he wants, but I don't want to die either. I peek my eye open and look down, regretting it as soon as I do. The ground below is coming toward me at an alarming rate, and soon I'll hit it with a splat. I squeeze my eyes shut again. I don't have a choice anymore. If I don't ask for help I'll die. So, I take in a deep breath and scream.

"CALEB!"

I keep my eyes squeezed tight and hope that I'm right, that he'll save me. I continue to fall and feel panic spread through me. What if I was wrong? What if he doesn't save me? But my worries dissipate when I stop.

"I recommend you don't ask me to let you go again."

I look up into his face, giving him a glare that would kill if looks could. This winged man, this angel, has been nothing but trouble for me since I met him. I could've been happy at True Cross, but no, he has to show up and ruin everything. He took me from the only place I have solid memories of.

"Point taken," I snap at him.

He doesn't reply, only shakes his head and begins flying back up. We are both silent for a minute or so, and I pray that he doesn't try to talk to me. But, of course, he does.

"I know you hate me right now," he says quietly, "but that's just because you don't understand."

"Have you considered the outcome of me choosing to go back?" I ask. "What if that happens? I'll still remember everything that happened, still remember Rin..."

Caleb looks at me and shakes his head quickly. "No, that won't happen."

"But what if it does? What if once I remember I go back and stay there?" I reply.

"Shut up, Brie..."

"But what if-"

"SHUT UP!"

I jump at the sudden yell that comes from Caleb and look at his face. He doesn't look angry, but instead he seems scared. I can't help but feel a little bad for him, even though I don't want to. I try and put myself into his situation. His sister has been missing for a couple of days after going on a dangerous mission. And then, when he finds her, she has lost all of her memories of anything before the mission. She doesn't remember anything about the many, many years she's spent with him. I continue to look at him as he flies up and up.

"I'm sorry."

Caleb looks at me in surprise. "What?"

I sigh, "I can guess that this is pretty hard for you. I know you just want your sister...well, me back." I pause and look into his eyes with determination. "But that doesn't mean I'm just going to give in. I still stand on what I want."

Caleb's gaze softens and he bends his head down to kiss my forehead. "I wouldn't expect anything else from someone as stubborn as you."

I give a small smile and he smiles back. It is only now that I notice he's stopped. I look at him in question. "Why did you stop?"

"Because we're here," he answers. He points at a point in the air in front of us. "See that?"

I follow his finger and squint at the spot. "No?"

"Well, there's a portal there. There are many of them on Earth, all scattered in the sky. This is the closest one to True Cross. Right through there, is our home," Caleb says.

"Our home..."

"Yep, so let's go."

"Wait," I say quietly.

"Brie, it won't hurt to just go back and see it," he replies. "Please. Just look at it at least."

I look at his sad expression and sigh. "Alright, fine."

Caleb nods and moves forward. I close my eyes as I feel us move through the portal, glad that at least this time I go through a portal I can't fall. When I feel that we're all the way through, I slowly reopen my eyes, which widen at the beautiful sight before me.

"Welcome back to Heaven," Caleb says.

The city before my eyes is utterly gorgeous. Unlike Gehenna, which was made up of red stone, this city is built from cleanly cut marble. It towers high up into the sky, reaching into the clouds above. From where we are I can see small rivers running through the streets of the city, sparkling and clean. There are people walking the streets, laughing and talking. Just outside the city is a large piece of land of grass and trees. There is a large pond that forms into a waterfall, and the water falls off of the edge of the land. Yet the pond doesn't seem to drain, and the waterfall merely disappears into the sky. The city is flying, floating, far above the Earth. At the very edge of the land stands a large golden gate. A long stone pathway leads from the gate to the entrance of the city. I can't help but be amazed by this sight. This truly is Heaven.

"It's...it's..." I say, but am unable to finish the sentence.

"Yeah," Caleb finishes for me, "I know."

Caleb flies down to the gate on the edge of the land and lets me down. I stare at the tall gate in awe as I follow Caleb. He goes to the right where there is a small booth with a man inside. He looks young, but he could be thousands of years old for all I know.

"Hey there, Caleb," the man says with a grin. "You got Brie back?"

Caleb gestures to me. "Yeah, she's here, Tyrone. The only problem is that her memories have been wiped."

"Ooh, that's not good," Tyrone replies with a frown. "I'll let you guys in right away."

Tyrone picks up a small hammer and taps a bell. The sound resonates through the air and fills my ears. The gate swings open, slowly and smoothly. Caleb nods at Tyrone and heads through the gate, me following close behind.

"I hope you get your memories back, Brie!" Tyrone calls to me. I turn and give a small smile to the gatekeeper and continue on my way.

Caleb leads me along the stone pathway that leads to the city silently. Soon enough, we are at the city entrance. Caleb tells me to stick close to him and not to get lost, and then we begin our journey to wherever it is we're going. As we wind our way through the colossal city, people around us glance at me and whisper to each other. Funny, I didn't angels gossiped.

"Here we are."

I eye the huge tower before us. It is clearly the tallest tower in the city, reaching high above the others. It must be important. I follow Caleb inside where a group of people are waiting, all different ages and races. One, a young, black-haired man, looks at me with excitement in his eyes. A smile spreads across his lips as he steps towards me.

"Oh, thank God. Brie, you're okay," he says with relief and happiness. I open my mouth to tell him that I don't know who he is, but don't get the chance.

Because he kisses me on the lips.

 


	14. Plans for Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much dialogue.

**_RIN'S P.O.V._ **

I pace around Mephisto's office, said demon eyeing me warily as I do so. He had brought me here shortly after Brie had been taken by Caleb. I feel the anger from the event burning deep within me, and I can feel it threatening to escape in the form of blue flames.

"You really should calm down, Rin," Mephisto says tiredly.

"How am I supposed to calm the fuck down when Brie just got kidnapped?!" I yell at him angrily. "She's gone and I don't know how to get her back!"

"You really are overreacting. You only knew for a couple of days, you can't be that attached already," he replies calmly.

I glare at him and he smirks. "You wouldn't understand...Someone like you probably isn't even capable of loving…"

Mephisto's face hardens to a deathly stare and he steps toward me, stopping mere inches away from my face. "You think I've never lost someone I loved? I've been alive for thousands of years. I've loved and lost enough times to drive a normal person into the depths of depression and insanity. Don't ever hold yourself like you are above me."

I drop my eyes from his unintentionally and back away. We are both silent for a few moments until he sighs and I make my way to his door. "I'm leaving to go tell the others what happened."

I leave Mephisto's office and slam the door behind me. I pause outside, conflicted. I feel like I should apologize, but he shouldn't have said what he did. I shake my head and walk away from the office, aiming to find the others. I leave the school and head to Bon, Shima, and Miwa's dorm. When I get there I knock on the door loudly, hoping that they're home.

"Who is it?" I hear Bon ask from the other side of the door.

"It's Rin."

The door opens and Bon stands on the other side. "What do you want?"

"Just let me come in and I'll explain," I say coldly. Bon seems to get the hint that I'm serious and let's me past. Shima and Miwa sit in front of a small television, a game controller in each of their hands. They give me confused glances as Shima pauses the game.

"What's going on, Rin?" Miwa asks with a concerned look.

"You all listening?" I ask and they nod hesitantly. "Alright. So, you guys all know how Brie's been in the infirmary because of how she went crazy and fought that goblin. Well, she woke up today-"

"That's great!" Shima exclaims with a grin.

"Yeah, it was great. But, this guy showed up and said all this crazy stuff about how Brie is an angel and that he's her brother and-"

"What?!" they all simultaneously yell at me.

"Will you guys let me finish?!" I yell back. They nod again and look at me with wide eyes. "Okay, as I was saying. This guy, Caleb, said that Brie's lost all of her memories and has to go back to Heaven to regain them. She tried to refuse, but he just picked her up, sprouted wings, and flew off with her."

They are all silent for a moment as this sinks in. Bon is the first one to speak.

"And you saw all this?" he asks.

"Well, no. I saw her kidnapped, but I wasn't there for the first half of the conversation. Mephisto explained it all to me afterward, though," I say.

"So, Brie's an angel?" Shima asks and then smiles flirtatiously. "I knew she was an angel from the moment I laid eyes on her."

Bon rolls his eyes. "The angel thing would explain how she used that weird light magic during that fight."

"How did her brother react to the fact that you and Brie are practically dating?" Shima asks teasingly.

I look at the floor. "Not well…"

"Shima, stop joking around. This is serious," Miwa says with a frown. "Brie's been kidnapped and all you're doing is making jokes."

"We need to tell the others," Bon says, nodding his head in agreement with Miwa. Shima and I also nod our heads. I turn to the door and begin to leave.

"Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~LATER~~~~~~~~~~

"Brie's an angel?"

"Yes."

"Don't they hate demons?"

"Yeah."

"So why is she dating Rin?"

"She lost her memory."

"So, she doesn't hate demons?"

"No."

"And she's how old?"

"That's not important!"

"And Caleb is-?"

"Her brother!"

"And he kidnapped her?"

"Yes! Anymore questions?!"

"Yeah, what are we gonna do now?"

I look at the group of people before me, consisting of Bon, Miwa, Shima, Shiemi, Shura, Amaimon, Izumo, Yukio, Kuro, and Ren. Mephisto had refused to come to the meeting or to even help us. Stupid clown…

"We have to help Brie!" Ren yells into my head, worry clear in her voice. I look at her and nod.

"We have to help Brie," I say to the group in front of me.

"But how?" Shiemi asks quietly.

"Yeah, it's not like we can just waltz into Heaven," Izumo says as she crosses her arms. "Especially when two of us are the sons of Satan."

I glare at Izumo, but she is right. I hold my head in my hands and try to think of a plan.

"Having any luck without me?"

I turn and see Mephisto standing there, a smirk plastered onto his face. "What do you want?"

"It just so happens I have a plan," he says.

"Oh yeah? What?" Shura asks sassily.

Mephisto's smirk widens.

"Here's what we are going to do."

 


	15. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who you?

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

My eyes widen and I pull away from the man attached to my lips. He looks at me with a mix of shock and confusion. He reaches a hand out to me, but I back away from him.

"Brienna? What's wrong?" he asks quietly.

"Brienna?" I repeat the name and look at Caleb.

"It's your full name," Caleb replies.

I repeat the name a few times and shake my head. "Brie is just fine, thanks." I look back to the man who kissed me. "More to the point, I don't even know who you are. Don't kiss me."

He opens his mouth and tries to speak, fumbling over his words. "Brie, it's me. Zuriel."

"You can tell me your name, but I still don't know who you are," I reply with narrowed eyes.

Zuriel looks at Caleb with confusion. "What's wrong with her? Did you upset her?"

"She's lost her memory, Zuriel," Caleb says, speaking loud so that the others in the room can hear. The rest of the group murmur to each other quietly.

"Well, then we have to get her memory back intact," Zuriel says with a look toward a girl in the group. She is small and has short, light pink hair that reaches right above her shoulders. She looks young, younger than me, but she must be important if she's here. She gives a small smile to Zuriel and nods.

"I can retrieve her memories easily, Zuriel. Have no fear," she says kindly and quietly. Her voice is soft and melodic, and it makes me smile when she speaks. She steps toward me slowly. "Hello Brie, I am Mattia. If you would please follow me."

I stand my ground boldly and shake my head. "I never said I wanted my memories back."

Everyone in the room looks at me, wide eyes filled with surprise. Caleb sighs and steps forward.

"You see, the problem is not that Brie has lost her memories. That problem is easily solvable," he says. "The problem is that Brie is refusing to remember her former life as an angel."

Zuriel steps toward me again, his expression filled with sorrow and pain. "Brie, my love, why do you not wish to remember?"

"Days ago, I arrived in Gehenna and came face to face with the devil himself," I begin. The crowd eyes me intently, hanging on every word I speak. "He didn't kill me. Why? Because I scared the absolute shit out of him by yelling at him. Instead, he introduced me to his sons, who were ordered to help me find out how I had gotten there.

"They took me to True Cross, where I met a bunch of new people," I continue, a smile beginning to form. "I began to take exorcist classes and made new friends. I found out that I'm a dragoon and a summoner. I found a familiar, Ren the cat sith. I befriended the sons of Satan; Rin Okumura, Yukio Okumura, Mephisto, and Amaimon." They're eyes grow wider and their expressions turn to ones of fear and terror. My look hardens as I finish. "I know that angels hate demons, and I refuse to hate the friends I have made. So, here's the deal. I'll remember who I am on one condition. You don't allow me to remember the part of me that hates demons."

The room is silent, all eyes on me. One man, looking seemingly older than the rest, clears his throat and steps forward. "I am Urim. Brienna, what you are asking for is not possible. It is not possible for Mattia to simply erase that part of you."

"Then I guess I'm just not going to remember," I say with a shrug. "So, can I go back to True Cross now?"

"No!" Zuriel yells. "You can't go back to that place! I won't allow you to associate yourself with demons!"

I glare at him. "Sorry, I don't remember much, but I know that you're not the boss of me."

"You will not go back there! I forbid it!" he shouts at me, anger in his eyes.

"I will do what I want!" I yell back. "Who are you to forbid me from doing anything?"

"I'm your fiance," he says seriously. My eyes widen before I turn back to a glare.

"I don't care who you are," I growl. "I have the free will to do what I want."

Zuriel glares back at me. "Fine then, do what you want. I don't care," he snarls before stomping out of the room.

The room is silent once more, the tension almost tangible. Caleb puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me a sympathetic look.

"Don't mind Zuriel, he's just upset," he says quietly. "You have to understand. You two have been together a long time, this is hard for him."

"It doesn't matter how long we've been together," I spit with venom. "You don't treat the one you love like you are their master. He doesn't have the right to tell me what to do."

The old man, Urim, steps forward again. "Brie, I understand that you wish to go back, but please try to stay for just a little while. Being here and seeing all of your loved ones may change your mind."

I consider this. Although I have no intentions to stay here, this city is beautiful and I would love to explore it more. "Fine, I'll stay for a little while. But I still intend to go back, none of you forget that."

Urim nods with a smile. "We understand. But be warned, those who love you will try very hard change your mind."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm very stubborn," I reply with a smirk.

 


	16. A Familiar Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know you.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

I walk the streets of the city, flanked Zuriel, the man claiming to be my fiance. I had wanted to go by myself, but Caleb insisted that he go with me so that I wouldn't get lost. I was okay with that really. Knowing me...well, I don't really know me, do I? Anyway, as we had been leaving, Zuriel had decided that he would take me instead. I protested but neither of them really listened to me.

"Brie, where are you going exactly?" I hear Zuriel ask from behind me.

I fight the urge to snap at him when I reply. "I don't know, wherever I want to go. Wherever happens to catch my eye."

I hear him chuckle quietly and turn on him quickly. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he says with a smile. "It's just that you're acting so odd."

"Well, what am I usually like?" I ask curiously.

He thinks for a moment before answering. "Much more serious."

"Really? That's disappointing..."

"But you have a lot of attitude, as you do now," he says with a smirk. "And you're usually much nicer to me."

I make a pouty face and drench my voice in sarcasm. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Apology accepted," he says and leans into my face, planting a kiss on my lips. I swat him away and turn on my heel, a blush tinting my cheeks. Whether it's from embarrassment or anger I'm not sure.

"Don't do that," I say quietly.

"But why not?" he asks innocently. "You're my fiance and I believe I have a right to kiss you."

I shake my head and turn back to him. "I don't even know you."

"Not now you don't. But you did, and you were very happy to," he says coldly.

"Listen, I know that this must be hard for you, but it's my life and I have a right to do what I want with it," I answer harshly.

His face reddens in anger. "You are being a selfish brat, Brienna! Yes, it is your life, and yes you have a right to do with it what you want! But that doesn't give you the right to change every life that is connected to yours!"

People on the street turn to stare at us and I decide it best that I not respond in public. "Whatever. Just leave me alone."

"No, I am to escort you through the city," he answers, tailing me as I begin to continue down the street.

"I don't need a damn escort. I'm not a kid."

"No, but you are someone who does not know this city," he replies sharply. "Without someone to guide you, you will get lost."

I ignore him and continue walking him, refusing to answer. He calls my name several times to get my attention, but after not getting an answer for a while he gives up. We walk in silence and I take in the sights around me. The area we are in now is somewhat like a suburbia. There are stone houses that line the street on both sides. Children play in one of the many rivers that run through the roads of the city. They glance at me as I walk by, but mostly pay me no mind, unlike the adults who stare and whisper.

"Why do they all have to stare?" I whisper to myself, trying to ignore the eyes looking at me. I stare at the ground as we pass a group of people, only looking up when a hand lands on my shoulder. I turn, ready to mouth off Zuriel, but instead I am stopped in my tracks.

"Hello," the woman says with a kind smile.

"Y...You're that woman," I say, tears filling my eyes. "The woman from the goblin attack."

She nods. "Yes, I am. My name is Haruka and I'm very happy to meet you. Although, we have met before."

"I never got to talk to your children," I whisper.

"That's alright," she says with a sad look in her eye. "I'm sure something more important came up."

A tear rolls down my cheek. "I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head. "It's not your fault."

"I should've been able to do something," I say, my eyes drowning in unshed tears. I drop to my knees, a sob escaping my throat. "I'm so sorry! I should've been stronger! I should have been able to save you! But I couldn't! I'm so weak! It's my fault that you're dead! And even when you asked me for the smallest of favors, I couldn't even fulfill that!"

I feel thin arms wrap around my shaking body. I look up to see a smiling Haruka, tears in her own eyes. She says, "It was not your fault, and I do not blame you for not talking to my children. I was still there when you passed out. I saw what you did to that demon."

My breathing calms and I am able to speak. "What I did?"

"Yes," she says quietly, "the way you killed the demon. You may not have been able to save me, but that wasn't your fault. What you were able to do was save others from my same fate. And I thank you for that."

"I promise that I will find your children and tell them that you love them," I say. "No matter what."

Tears roll down her face as she smiles at me. "Thank you."

 


	17. A Secret Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeeeecret.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

The day had gone by quickly after bumping into Haruka, the woman from the goblin attack. After my little breakdown we had parted ways with sad smiles. Zuriel had asked how I knew her, but I didn't care enough to give him an answer. It's none of his business honestly. We had continued to wander the city after that, covering more ground than I thought we would. I hadn't even noticed the setting sun when Zuriel had said that we should head back. Upon arrival at the tower I was given a room to stay in and left alone for the night.

So, now I'm sitting on a large windowsill, watching the rest of the sun disappear below the horizon. The room I'm in is big, like, really big. Much too big for just one person. The bed is a queen with silk sheets and pillow cases. The blanket is white with even whiter lace strung into it, creating intricate patterns and designs. There are also small, clear beads sewn into it, only adding to intricacy. There is a dresser in one corner of the room, filled with clean, white clothes.

"Do they have enough white in this place?" I mumble to myself as I stand and walk to said dresser. I pick out a plain, white nightgown and head to the private bathroom to my right. There are clean towels stacked on the shelves along with shampoos, conditioners, and any other toiletry you could ever need. I set down the nightgown next to a clean towel and pick out some cleaning supplies before stripping down and stepping into the shower.

I let the water pour down my back for quite a while before doing any actual washing, taking peace in the feeling of it. The last time I had showered was at True Cross. I sigh at the thought, sadness overcoming me. As I wash my hair I remember everyone there in an attempt to cheer myself up. Bon, with his stern face, always seeming to worry about Rin's grades. I wonder if maybe he has a crush on him and then laugh at the thought. I remember Shima, the flirty pinkette who's afraid of bugs, and Miwa, the short, nerdy kid with a bald head and a big brain. Then I think about Shiemi and Izumo, a kind, blonde girl who only wishes to make friends and a purple-haired girl who is nothing but attitude, though she is quite talented in summoning. I remember Amaimon's bored expression, lollipop stuck in his mouth, and Yukio's serious face when he is teaching. I even think about Mephisto, but only for a split second.

Finally, I think about Rin, the raven-haired boy who has stolen my heart. I think about his smile when he looks at me and the way he gets flustered around me. I think about how flustered I get around him and the heat that reddens my cheeks. I think about how he twirls his short hair when he's nervous and how he always fumbles over his words. I think about how he sleeps in class and the way he shoots up from his seat when the bell rings. I think about how he's always late and how his clothes and hair always look like a mess. I think about how his lips felt on mine that first night I was there, how they were soft and smooth and tasted sweet.

I sigh and shake the memories from my head, coming back to the real world. I step out of the shower and quickly dry off and get dressed, ready to sleep. I hadn't noticed how exhausted I am until now. It makes sense that I would be tired, though, considering the day I'd had. I clean up the bathroom and head back into the bedroom, only to find someone else in there.

"Hello, Brie," the girl says with a smile. I recognize her as the pink-haired girl from earlier, but her name slips my mind at the moment.

"Um, hi, uh-"

"Mattia."

"Mattia, right. What brings you here?" I ask curiously.

She pats the spot on the bed next her. "I have something interesting to tell you."

"Interesting, huh?" I reply as I sit down as instructed.

"It's about your memories," she says slowly.

I shake my head. "If you came here to try and convince me to stay, you've got another thing coming."

"No, no," she laughs. It's a beautiful sound, like bells tinkling. "I understand that you don't want to remember a certain part of who you were."

"That's right."

"Unfortunately, I do not have the power to do that," she says with a sigh. "I am not yet strong enough."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "So you came to tell me something I already know?"

"No, I came to tell you that I may know someone who can help you with this task," Mattia says quietly. "You see, like many angels of power here, I was trained by someone. I believe that my predecessor may be able to erase that part of you."

"Really?!" I yell excitedly.

"Shhh! You mustn't let anyone know," she says sternly. "No one is happy that you wish to get rid of that part of you, especially Zuriel. He doesn't want there to be any chance of you leaving."

"Bastard," I mumble, causing Mattia's eyes to widen. "What?"

She shakes her head. "It's just those words you use. How did you even learn them? Angels do not normally swear."

"I don't really know," I answer with a shrug. "Anyway, how do I find your teacher?"

"She resides in a small house outside of the city. If you wish I can take you there tomorrow," she says. "I'm sure she will help you for she is a very kind woman."

I snort. "And an angel. Don't they always want to help people?"

Mattia shakes her head. "That is not true. Haven't you ever heard of fallen angels?"

"You mean that actually happens?"

"Indeed. You said that you met Satan, correct?" she asks. I nod in response. "He was the very first to stray from the path of God, and was cast down into Hell for doing so."

"That's a bit harsh," I say.

"There are still some today who do not have pure intentions," Mattia says gravely. "I fear for them, and for those close to them."

I nod and stand to open the door that exits into the hall. "Well, thanks for the information, Mattia, but I think it's time for me to go to bed now. I'm exhausted."

She smiles and stands, making her way to the door. "You're very welcome, Brie. I will see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Night," I reply with a yawn. I shut the door behind her and shut the light off before climbing into the huge bed. With all of the blankets and pillows, it's like laying on a cloud. I giggle at the comparison and lay my head on the pillow, falling into a deep sleep in no time.

 


	18. Helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rin is upset and makes you want to cry.

**_RIN'S P.O.V._ **

"WHAT?!"

"I'm sorry, Rin," Mephisto says with a shrug, "but there's nothing we can do to help Brie."

"You said you had a plan!" I yell at him angrily.

He nods his head. "Yes and the plan is to wait and see what happens."

"We can't just sit and wait!"

Mephisto's eyes narrow as he looks at me. "Do you have a better idea, Rin? Please enlighten us of your plan to sneak into Heaven and save Brie."

"Well, it's simple really," I say nervously, scratching the back of my head. "We just, uh...We..."

"Exactly," Mephisto says. "There's nothing we can do."

I can only hang in disappointment. I know that he's right, but there has to be something we can do. Anything. I look at Mephisto desperately. "Can't you, like, open a portal that leads to Heaven?"

He nods. "Of course, but they would know we were there as soon as we arrived."

"Then I'll just fight 'em all!" I yell, tears of frustration beginning to form in my eyes. "I can do it!"

"Are you and idiot?" Bon yells back at me, standing to get near me. "Those are angels up there, Okumura! I saw what Brie did to that goblin! You wouldn't have a chance against an entire city of them!"

Miwa steps forward also. "Not to mention if you were to fight too hard...well, we all remember what happened last time..."

"You lost control," Shiemi says with a slight shiver.

"We can't afford to let that happen again," Izumo says, glancing toward Shiemi with approval. "You were nearly sentenced to death."

Shura sighs as she puts a hand on my shoulder. "They're right, brat. I wish there was something we could do, but if there was then Mephisto would tell us." She glares at the demon. "Right, Mephisto?"

Mephisto smiles and waves off the comment. "Of course, dear. I'm just as fond of Brie as the rest of you."

"I can't just sit around and wait for her to come back," I say quietly, staring at the floor. "What she never does come back? What if she gets her memories back and hates me?"

Everyone is silent, not knowing what to say. I know they want to tell me that that won't happen, but we all know that it very well could. My heart aches just at the thought of it and I don't even bother to stop the tear from running down my face. I feel someone pat my shoulder and the sound of footsteps, signaling that people are leaving. When I hear the final pair of feet I look up. Mephisto is still there, a sorrowful expression on his face.

"I apologize," he says with a sigh. "What I said earlier was not fair of me. I know very well how easy it is to fall in love."

"I'm sorry, too. It wasn't fair of me to say those things about you not being capable of love," I reply quietly.

He smirks. "Listen to us, apologizing. What kind of demons are we?"

"The good kind," I reply with a small smile.

"Rin?"

I turn toward the door and see Ren standing there, tears glistening in her clear blue eyes. I give a sad smile and walk toward her, scooping her into my arms. She hides her face and snuggles into my shirt.

"I'm scared, Rin. I miss Brie..."

"I know," I say quietly, looking at Mephisto, who has a somber expression. "I miss her, too."

"She's gonna come back...right?"

She buries her face further into my chest, staining it with tears. I sigh. "I don't know, Ren...I just-" My voice breaks at that instant and I hide my own face in the cat sith's white fur. I hold back the tears until I hear Mephisto leave the room, shutting the door behind him. I lean against the wall and slide down it, cradling Ren the whole time. At last, I let the tears free from my eyes and the sobs out of my throat. Together we sit and cry, me and Ren. There are no other sounds in the room, just my sobs and her howls of despair. True, we hadn't known Brie for long, but, somehow, she had made a large impact on us.

I laugh suddenly and Ren jumps at the sound, showing her face only to look at me curiously. "I was just remembering when I first met Brie. I thought her and Amaimon were dating." I pause to laugh again. "And then I called her cute. You should've seen her, Ren. She was so flustered, she had no idea how to respond. And then later, she came over to the dorm and I made her dinner."

"What a gentleman," Ren says jokingly, also starting to smile as she begins to remember Brie.

"Right? She wanted to help with it, but I wouldn't let her," I say with a smile. "And then, when I was walking her to Mephisto's office, she stopped."

"Why?"

I laugh again. "She was admiring the sunset. She said it was beautiful, but all I was looking at was her. She really is beautiful, the most beautiful girl I've ever met."

"Well, she is an angel," Ren snickers at my sappiness.

"True, I guess," I say quietly. "As she was looking at the sunset, I got close to her, and when I called her name she looked to me. I thought she would back away, but instead, she leaned in." I pause and touch my fingers to my lips, remembering what the kiss had felt like. It had been so soft and light, like a caressing breeze on a summer day. "I know we barely know each other, but I just feel something when I'm around her. I might love her, Ren..."

We are both silent, small smiles on our faces. I'm sure Ren is remembering when she met Brie also. I lean my head against the wall behind me and sigh, still thinking about Brie. Her sassy attitude toward everyone, how shy she was when I first met her, how happy she was when she found out her meister types, and her smile. Her smile, I would do anything to make her smile.

"Rin?"

"Yeah, Ren?"

"What if Brie already has someone she loves...in Heaven?"

 


	19. Remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello new character.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

"So, are we friends?"

"I would say so," Mattia laughs as we walk through the city. "We've known each other since we were small."

"How young is small?" I ask curiously.

"I'd say we were each around 50," she says with a nod.

My eyes widen as I glance over at her. "So we've known each other for, like, 150 years."

"That's right," she says with another nod.

"I'm surprised you aren't more upset about me not wanting to remember," I say quietly.

She gives me a sad smile. "Well, I do want you to remember, but I also respect your wishes. Which is why I want to help you."

"You are much nicer than anyone else here, Mattia," I say with a grin. "Can I call you Matti?"

She grins back and nods happily. "I was hoping you would. You haven't called me Mattia since we first met."

We walk in comfortable silence through the quiet streets of the city. It's still a bit early and only a few people are out and about. Mattia said that she had wanted to get an early start so that we could easily avoid everyone else, that way we wouldn't cause any suspicion. I can tell that Mattia is a clever girl, for I know I wouldn't have ever thought of a detail like that.

"So," I say slowly, not sure if I should ask or not, "how do you feel about demons?"

"Well, I hate them of course," she says bluntly. "But I know that there are some exceptions. I know that the Okumura twins are not bad people, so I have no reason to hate them."

I let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. I can see why we're friends."

"I'm surprised, though," she says quietly. "Your hate for demons runs deep within you, Brie. It amazes me that a simple memory wipe could get rid of it."

"It has something to do with my parents, right?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes."

"Will I remember them?"

"That depends on if that has to do with you hating demons or not," she replies. "You may remember them, but you may not remember their deaths." She stops walking at looks at the building in front of us. "We're here."

The house is normal sized, identical to the others around it. Like all the buildings here it is made of white marble and has a smooth texture. It is small, but it is just as beautiful as the large tower in the center of the city. Mattia steps forward and knocks on the door lightly. We wait a few seconds until the door is opened, revealing the owner of the house.

"Oh, Mattia!" the woman says cheerfully. She looks older than both of us, a full-grown woman, but her beauty is awe-inspiring. She has chocolate brown hair that cascades around her, reaching to her hips. Her eyes are bright and are the color of forest green leaves.

"Hello, Arariel," Mattia says with a small smile. The woman, Arariel, steps forward and grabs the small girl into a hug. I smile at the show of affection.

"I haven't seen you in ages, Mattia!" Arariel says as she releases the pink-haired angel. "What brings you here?"

"Well, Arariel, I'm here for some help," Mattia says with a gesture in my direction.

Arariel looks at me and smiles warmly. "And who might this be?"

"This is Brienna, and her memories have been stolen," Mattia says.

"That should be no problem for you, Tia," the woman says with a scolding glance at her apprentice.

Mattia smiles and shakes her head. "It is not, but Brie is a special case."

Arariel nods and moves from the doorway. "Please come in."

We both nod and step inside the woman's home. She leads us to a small living area and insists that we sit down. We do and she walks off to get refreshments. The living room is very cozy, with warm colors decorating every surface. I look at Mattia nervously, to which she only gives a comforting smile. We wait and within moments Arariel is back with what looks like tea. She hands each of us a cup and then sits in the chair across from us with a smile.

"Alright, so what's the problem?" she asks.

"Brie, why don't you explain the situation to Arariel?" Mattia says encouragingly.

I nod and begin. "Well, not too long ago I was sent to Gehenna on a mission, a mission to kill Satan. But, while being transported I was intercepted, turned temporarily human, and given false memories. I was under the illusion that my name was Brie Tenors, had lived in America, and was human. After I had dealt with Satan, he ordered his sons to keep watch of me and find out how I had gotten there. They took me to True Cross Academy, where I met lots of new people and made new memories. However, during an attack, I supposedly used my angel powers and was sent to the infirmary, where I met Caleb and her kidnapped me."

Arariel looks at me with wide eyes. "So, what is the problem?"

"The problem is that I want to remember who I am, but I don't want to hate demons," I say.

"Why not?" she asks curiously.

I swallow. "Well, while I was at True Cross I met new friends, like I said, four of which are demons. I also may be going out with Rin Okumura..."

"The son of Satan?" Arariel asks, eyes widening even more.

"Yes..."

Arariel is silent for a while and looks to the distance, thinking. Finally, she smiles and her eyes focus back onto me. "I understand."

"Y...You do?" I ask.

"Yes," she says warmly. "I will help you."

My eyes widen immensely. "You will?"

She nods again and her smile is sincere. "Just come over here to me and I will return your memories."

I nod and stand slowly, almost not able to believe it. I make my way over to her and she stands also, bringing us eye to eye.

"Close your eyes and relax," she says quietly. I do as she says and close my eyes, taking a deep breath. I feel her fingers find my temples and stay there. "This may hurt just a bit, but do not fear."

I nod and gasp when I feel something in my mind. I can feel her in my head. It is an odd sensation, and a bit unpleasant. I feel her rummage through my memories, bringing up ones of True Cross. I see Rin and Yukio at the table, eating away. I see Satan shrinking away from me in fear and the laughter that followed. And then a sharp pain runs through my head and I yelp.

And then I see something new, but still recognizable.

My forgotten memories.

 


	20. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, good times.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

_"Come on, Brie. You can do it."_

_I look up at the three people before me. I don't know much about them yet, but I identify them with ease now. One of them is called mama, another papa, and the last one is called brother. All three of them are smiling down at me as I struggle to stand on my small feet. I had seen them do this so many times, so why can't I do it? I give out a cry of surprise as I tumble to the floor once again. I look up at mama, papa, and Caleb. They distanced themselves from me on purpose, and I glare at them as best as a_ _toddler_ _can._

_"Brie, come on! It's easy!" Caleb shouts with a wide grin._

_"Don't shout, Caleb," papa scowls at Caleb._

_Caleb simply ignores him and jogs to my side. I look up at him with wide eyes, curious to his intentions. He sits down next to me._

_"Look, Brie, like this," he says quietly._

_I watch as he puts one leg underneath him, pushing himself up. I strain to copy his movements, and, with a few more tries, I have matched his stance. He grins and puts his other leg under him, pushing himself farther up. I copy his actions once more and even take the extra step of pushing myself up fully._

_"You're standing!" Caleb says excitedly, beaming from ear to ear. I also give a smile of my own, proud of my actions._

_"Come to mama, Brie!" mama calls from where she stands._

_With determination, I put one foot out in front of the other, being careful to keep my balance. Slowly but surely, I close the distance between me and mama, laughing with delight as I grip her leg._

_"You did it, Brie!" Caleb shouts as he runs to me, grin even larger than before. I smile back at him and he holds his hand out. I take my own hand and smack his, giggling._

_._

_._

_._

_I stand before an older Caleb, who is flying through the sky with ease. I pout and cross my arms, jealous at how easy he is able to control his flight pattern. He loops around once more and then lands next to me, a smug smile on his face._

_"See? It's easy," he says._

_"Easy for you," I reply sadly._

_He grins at me. "I'm sure you can do it. You are my sister after all."_

_I give an exasperated sigh but spread my wings anyway. They say an angel's innocence is shown through their wings. The whiter they are, the more pure and innocent the soul of the angel. My wings are of the purest white, untainted and perfect like snow that has not been touched. Skill is also shown through how strong an angel's wings are. And seeing how I can't get off the ground, it doesn't seem like I have much skill or potential. Caleb's wings are much stronger than mine, and I'm actually pretty jealous of him._

_"Alright, just flap your wings and you'll do fine," Caleb says matter-of-_ _factly_ _. "Remember, you have to feel like you can float. Pretend your a feather or something."_

_"Or something?" I ask with a glare. "Next your going to tell me all I need is faith, trust, and pixie dust."_

_Caleb laughs. "Don't be ridiculous, pixies aren't real."_

_I roll my eyes at him before closing them in order to concentrate. I begin to flap my wings in an attempt to lift myself off of the ground, trying to imagine myself as a feather floating on the wind. I can feel my wings beginning to strain as I flap harder, already tired from trying to lift me so many times. I feel my feet lift from the ground a little ways and open my eyes. I'm barely off of the ground and I frown at the distance. I sigh as my wings give out and plop me back onto the ground._

_"Maybe you need a different tactic."_

_Caleb and I turn to the voice who had spoken. Not far away from us stands_ _Zuriel_ _, arms crossed and an_ _infuriating_ _smirk plastered to his face. I glare at him and tuck my wings behind me, crossing my arms as I do so._

_"What do you want,_ _Zuriel_ _?" I spit._

_His smirk widens. "Why I only wish to help, my dear_ _Brienna_ _."_

_I can't help but snort, earning a disapproving glance from Caleb. "Oh, as if,_ _Zuriel_ _. If anything you'd be the one to drop me from the sky, sending me to my death."_

_"Not a bad idea," he says, glancing at Caleb. They seem to have a silent agreement as Caleb nods his head curtly. Within a blink of an eye I'm picked up and heading high into the sky. I watch with wide eyes as the ground moves farther and farther away, trying to process what just happened. I look up at my kidnapper and see_ _Zuriel_ _, grinning widely._

_"Are you insane?!" I scream over the howling wind. "I can't fly!"_

_"Like you said, dear_ _Brienna_ _," he says loudly, "I would be the one to drop you from the sky."_

_My jaw drops and I look back to the ground, except I can't even see the ground anymore. "Caleb!" I scream desperately._

_"Ah, no use. He and I agreed on this tactic,"_ _Zuriel_ _says. I remember the silent agreement and Caleb's nod. My face heats up in anger as_ _Zuriel_ _comes to a stop. He looks down at me with an evil grin. "Well, this is your stop. Ta ta,_ _Brienna_ _."_

_I drop out of his grasp and yelp as I take one last look at him. He's grinning widely, the evil man... I flail my limbs around me, grabbing for anything that isn't air, though I already know that I don't have anything I can grab. I look down and can already see the ground fast approaching, a sense of deja vu coming over me. I cease flailing my limbs and try to think of what to do, but all I can think of is why Zuriel did this and why Caleb agreed._

_Unless..._

_They're trying to help me fly?_

_My eyes widen in realization and I unfurl my wings from behind my back. Just as I'm about to hit the ground my wings come fully unfurled and I swoop up from the ground, the wind taking me up into the sky. I sail over the ground beneath me and give a flap to keep myself up. The wind pushes past me and through my hair. Once the immediate danger of falling to the ground is gone, I can feel myself beginning to enjoy the feeling of the wind."I told you it was easy!" Caleb yells from the ground. I glare at him and then an evil grin comes over my features. I turn toward him and tuck my wings next to me so that I can go even faster. Caleb's face blanches as I grow closer and closer, speeding like a bullet toward him. But, with a grin, he unfurls his own wings and shoots out of the way. I yell as I crash into something solid, pushing it back a few feet._

_I groan and rub my head as I open my eyes to see what I ran into. I scowl when I see Zuriel standing there, a grin on his face. I jump away from him in disgust._

_"You idiot! I could've died!" I yell at him._

_"But you didn't," he points out. "You flew."_

_I open my mouth to yell again but shut it again as he smiles warmly. My cheeks flush and I turn my head away, embarrassed that I could even get embarrassed in front of him._

_"Whatever."_

_._

_._

_._

_"Do you want children, Brienna?"_

_"Oh God, no way," I reply to Zuriel's question with a laugh. "Why? Do you?"_

_He considers this and then shrugs. "Not necessarily. Just curious."_

_"Alright then," I say, casting him a suspicious glance. "Why the talk of children all of a sudden?"_

_"I already said, I'm just curious," he answers with a smirk._

_I sit up quickly and look down at him with a glare. "What's going on with you? You've been acting really weird lately. Taking me out at night to watch the sky, asking me things about the future, and just being plain weird."_

_"Nothing, love," he says and sits up next to me. "Just thinking."_

_"Thinking about what? You can tell me, Zuriel. We've been together for almost forty years now," I say and look away from him. "You can trust me, you know?"_

_He grabs my chin gently and faces me toward him, looking apologetic. "I am sorry, love. I did not mean to make you think that I do not trust you. I do, really. I have merely been thinking about many important things lately."_

_I sigh and lean in to kiss him lightly on his lips, caressing his face in my hand. "It's alright that you're thinking, but why won't you share what you're thinking? I'm beginning to worry."_

_"Do you really wish to know, my love?" he asks, a small smile gracing his lips. I nod and he continues. "I have simply been thinking of our future together. I have been meaning to ask for a long time now..."_

_"Ask me what?" I ask, concerned."Well," he says and begins to position himself to one knee, "we've been together for almost forty years now, and I was thinking it is about time I 'popped the question'."_

_My eyes widen and I stand quickly, hands going to my mouth in surprise. He looks up at me with that smirk of his, the one I used to think of as infuriating and now think of as beautiful._

_"Brienna, would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Zuriel asks quietly, looking directly into my eyes._

_I smile down at him and nod. "Of course, Zuriel. I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else."_

_He jumps up to me and pulls me into a passionate kiss, long and loving. I laugh into the kiss, and in that moment I know that I have always loved Zuriel._

_And I always will_.

 


	21. Reminisce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where am I?!

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

My eyes fly open and I sit up from the couch I had been laying on with a gasp. Ararielle and Mattia sit across from me on another couch, Ararielle smiling kindly and Mattia looking at me with worried eyes. Mattia stand quickly and rushes to my side.

"Brie, are you alright? Do you remember?" she asks quietly.

I nod and grin at her. I remembered everything, especially her. I remembered how we had met when I was only 50. We had both begun to attend the same special training school in hopes to one day be on the High Council. Ever since the day we met we've been best friends. I can't believe I had forgotten her.

"I remember everything, Matti," I say as I pull her into a tight embrace. "I remember you and Caleb and my parents and Zuriel and-" I break off the sentence and Mattia pulls away, looking at me with knowing eyes. "Zuriel...I remember how much I love him. And yet..."

"Your feelings for the Okumura boy still remain?" Ararielle asks from her spot on the couch. I nod in response and she sighs. "That is troublesome indeed. You are going to have to make a choice, Brienna."

I groan and lean back into the couch, a weight settling on my chest and on my heart. I've been with Zuriel for so long now, and I love him to the moon and back. But for some reason, Rin makes me feel so alive and makes my heart soar to the stars. Zuriel is so calm and collected most times, and he always tells me how much he loves me. And Rin is so bashful and adorable and has such a hard time keeping his emotions in check. I let out another groan of frustration. How could I be in love with complete opposites?

"Brie?" Mattia says quietly. I look at her worried expression and offer a small smile.

"It's alright, Mattia. I'll figure it out, no problem," I reassure her. "I've had harder decisions than this before."

She nods and I stand from the couch, ready to leave Ararielle's cozy home. I walk over to said home owner and offer a hand.

"Thank you, Ararielle. I don't know what I would have done without you," I say with a grin.

Ararielle stands and embraces me softly, being careful not to make me uncomfortable. "You are very welcome, my dear Brienna. I do hope that you are able to sort out your feelings."

Mattia and I make our way to the house's exit and Ararielle sees us out. We bid our goodbyes at the door and then Mattia and I turn away to head back to the Tower of the High Council.

"Oh, Brienna."

I turn and see that Ararielle is still standing at the door. Her face is serious and I can see remorse and pity in her eyes. "Yes?" I ask as Mattia continues walking away.

"There is misfortune in your near future. Be wary of those you trust most," she says grimly.

I blink at her. "Misfortune?"

"What?" Ararielle asks, her face calm and less severe now. "Did you say something?"

"You said-"

Mattia appears beside me and looks at me with a puzzled expression. "Brie, what are you doing? I though we were leaving."

I look at Ararielle again and shake my head. "We are. I spaced out for a moment. Sorry."

"It's okay, let's just go," she says.

I nod and, with a final wave to Ararielle, we leave the house behind us. On the way back to the tower, Mattia and I spend the time reminiscing. We talk about the day we met and how Caleb used to be such a dork and how Zuriel and I used to be complete enemies. We talk about anything and everything, letting the roads of the city lead us to where we want to go. We talk about how boring school was back then and how we had never even guessed we would have been where we are now.

After a while we reach the tower far too soon in our opinion. Mattia walks me to my room and we bid each other goodnight, just like we always do. Once inside my room I collapse onto my bed, emotionally exhausted. I consider taking a bath but in the end decide that I'm just too tired. I figure I should get a lot of sleep tonight, because tomorrow I'm going to have to speak with Zuriel.

Zuriel. My heart clenches at the thought of him. It's not the flutter that I get from the mention of Rin, but perhaps that's because I have known Zuriel longer. I bury my head in my pillows and sigh.

I think back to Ararielle's words and shudder. What had she meant by misfortune? And why had she told me to be wary of those I trust? She had been confused when I had questioned her. Could I have imagined her saying that? Or did she really just not remember?

My mind races as I lay in my bed, wanting and wishing that sleep will come. And, almost as if someone had granted my wish, I fell asleep in the next instant, drowning in a dreamless sea of black.

 


	22. Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How rude.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

I wake up heavy with sleep, reluctant to get up out of bed. Getting out of bed would mean having to see Zuriel. My heart does a flip at the thought of seeing Zuriel. My Zuriel. But at the same time I feel uneasy.

"I could just stay in bed all day," I muse. The idea is appealing, and I almost decide to go back to bed when someone knocks on my door.

"Brie? Are you awake, sis?" I hear Caleb call from the other side of the door. I almost don't answer so I can just go back to bed, but then I think better of it.

"Yeah, I'm up...sort of," I answer with a sigh. "Come on in."

Caleb strides through the door with his signature grin plastered to his face. He makes his way to my bed and collapses onto me, hugging me tight. I hug him back just as tightly.

"I missed you," he says.

"I know. I'm sorry I put you through all that shit," I reply quietly.

I feel his grip tighten around me. "Don't leave again," he whispers, hurt evident in his voice. "I can't lose you. I already lost mom and dad, I can't lose you too."

"You won't lose me, Caleb. I promise."

Caleb pulls back and grins widely at me. "Well, now that you're officially back, we can get back to our normal routine again."

I look away from him, unable to meet his shining eyes. He seems to notice this and I hear him move closer again.

"Brie? What's wrong?" he asks, concerned.

I can't look at him, not when I'm about to rip those happy thoughts from him. "I...I'm not sure if I'm ready to stay here," I say quietly, glancing up to see his reaction.

He stares at me in silence, his face blank of any clue as to what he's thinking. We sit in silence for what seems like an eternity before he responds.

"What do you mean?" he asks. His voice is rough as it trembles with emotion. His eyes are gleaming with pain and confusion.

"I'm just not sure if I'm going to stay here, Caleb," I repeat, holding back tears.

He is silent again before replying. "This is about that demon isn't it?" I stay silent and jump when he yells. "Answer me!"

"Yes..."

"Dammit, Brie!" he yells at me, anger written on every feature of his face. "You can't do this! You have Zuriel! He loves you and you love him!"

"But Rin loves me too!" I yell back, standing so that we are face to face. "At least, I think he does. And I think I still have feelings for him too..."

Caleb runs a hand through his hair roughly and groans in frustration. He begins to pace around the room and I watch him as he grows more and more upset.

"Why are you being this way?" Caleb asks coldly. "When Mattia told me that you had your memories restored I thought it meant the end of these crazy shenanigans! How can you still love him after you remembered that they killed our parents?"

My silence at his question seems to trigger something in Caleb. He goes quiet and still, not moving a muscle. His body is tense as he turns to me slowly. "You...forgot them," he states, not even posing it as a question. "You willingly chose to forget pur parents."

"No, I didn't forget them, I only forgot their deaths," I correct him. His eyes narrow at me and he steps up to stand in front of me, seeming to tower over me. His face shows only disgust and anger as I continue to speak. "I don't want to hate them, Caleb. They're my friends..."

"They're demons, Brie," he growls back. "You picked demons over your own family. How does that make you feel?"

My lip trembles and tears threaten to escape as I reply. "They're not all bad. Why can't you see that?"

He shakes his head and steps back, turning to leave. Tears glide down my cheeks as he stops just in front of the door. He doesn't turn to look at me, only continues to loom at the door as he speaks.

"I never thought you would end up this way, Brienna," he says. I flinch at his use of my first name. "Don't come home, just stay away from me. You're not my sister anymore. I don't know who you are..."

And with that he leaves my room, shutting the door firmly behind him. I sink to my knees and struggle to hold back the sob caught in my throat. Tears are pouring my down my face and my breathing is shallow. I bury my head in my hands and left shoulders shake with the sobs that rip from my throat.

That's the way Mattia finds me in the next five minutes, sobbing and shaking on the floor of my bedroom. She says nothing, only goes to my side and squeezes me tightly. She helps me from the floor and helps me to my bed, laying me down gently on the soft mattress.

Over my sobbing I can hear her chanting quietly to herself as she strokes my hair softly. As her chanting proceeds, I can feel myself getting more calm. My eyes begin to grow heavy with sleep and I look at Mattia in confusion.

She smiles at me and says, "You need rest, Brie. Go to sleep."

I want to say no, want to stay awake and cry out my despair. But instead I nod and snuggle myself I to my pillows and blanket with a sigh. As I begin to drift into sleep, I feel one final tear slide down my cheek, leaving a salty trail behind it.

Those closest to you can be the ones who hurt you most.

 


	23. Corruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out da window.

_**BRIE'S P.O.V.** _

I don't come out of my room for the rest of the day after my fight with Caleb. Mattia tries to coax me out of my room, but I'm just in too much emotional distress to leave my bed for any reason other than to go to the bathroom. When someone knocks on my door, Mattia answers for me and I can hear Zuriel on the other side.

"Is Brie in there?" I hear him ask, able to hear the worry that tinges his voice. "I asked Caleb how she was doing, but he ignored me. He looked pretty upset. Is Brie okay?"

Mattia glances at me before stepping out into the hall with Zuriel to speak. I can hear their hushed voices as Mattia most likely explains to Zuriel what happened between me and Caleb. About how I have my memories back but chose to forget my parents' deaths. I can't help but worry that Zuriel will be just as mad as Caleb was. Zuriel likes demons just as much as the next angel...

With those thoughts in mind, I can't help but cover my head with my blanket as Zuriel steps into the room. I hear his light footsteps as he walks to my bed and can feel his weight as he sits on the bed. I stare at my blanket and wait, too afraid to speak.

"Brie," he says with a sigh. "You don't have to hide under your blanket, I'm not mad."

Slowly, I peek my head out from under the blanket, looking at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Really?"

His lips curve into a small smile and he nods. "Yes, really."

I pull the blanket down so that is rests on my lap and look at him shyly. He climbs onto the bed and lies next to me, pulling me into him so that he can hold me. I had forgotten how nice it is to be held in his arms this way, but somehow this is different. This time it feels almost.... _wrong._

"I missed you, Brienna," Zuriel says softly, interrupting my previous thoughts. He kisses me on my lips slowly and softly. I revel in the touch, but I still have this feeling of wrongness as he does it.

"I missed you, too, Zuriel," I say back, but the words are forced. I'm acting strange and I'm not sure why. Everything happening right now seems so wrong, but I can't understand why. I've been with Zuriel for so long now and we've always been so happy. So why is it that this doesn't seem right?

"Are you alright, Brie? You seem out of it," he says, a smile still planted on his lips. His smile has always seemed so kind and caring, but now it looks almost sinister. His soft, gray eyes are now menacing as he stares into my own eyes. As my expression turns from one of calmness to horror, his smile twists into a dangerous smirk. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"What's going on with you?" I ask shakily. "You're acting really weird, Zuriel. Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shakes his head slowly, letting out a long sigh. "Oh, my dear, sweet Brienna. Can't you see?"

"Zuriel, what are you talking about?" I question, my voice is quiet and shaky. "You don't look like yourself."

His face is growing frustrated as he looks at me expectantly. "Come on, Brie. How much more obvious can I make it?" As he speaks his eyes start to glow with a dark light. A menacing power is radiating around him as he stares at me, waiting for my reaction.

"Zuriel," I whisper, realization dawning on me, "what have you done?"

He smiles widely and I see that his teeth have grown sharp and deadly. "I don't know, Brie, you tell me what I've done. Tell me what's happened to me."

"You're corrupted, Zuriel!" I shout. "We have to tell someone! You need help!"

His eyes glow darker and he frowns at me. "I don't need  _help._  I'm better now." He smiles again, wide and sinister. "I'm more powerful."

"How long have you been like this?" I ask quietly. When he doesn't answer I yell. "How long, Zuriel?!"

He shrugs. "Long enough."

"Zuriel."

"I made contact with him a few years ago," he answers calmly, not seeming to be the least bit worried about the current situation.

 _"But unfortunately there was a traitor among us, and when you were flying there, you were intercepted. Whoever intercepted you changed you into a human temporarily and gave you false memories._ "

Cable's words float through my mind and my eyes widen in understanding and fear. "You were the traitor," I whisper, low enough that Zuriel doesn't hear me. I raise my voice. "You were the one who wiped my memories and suppressed my angelic abilities!"

"Brie, don't get the wrong idea. I did that for your own safety," he says quickly. "When I told Satan about the plan to destroy Gehenna, he agreed that he would let you live if I intercepted you and the mission. I knew I wasn't going to be able to talk you out of the mission, so I wiped your memories while you were traveling there. I had always planned to give you your memories back." He stops and his face changes to one of anger. "But then when I went to get you from Gehenna, Satan told me that his  _sons_ had taken you away. Taken you to some  _True Cross Academ_ y."

"Zuriel-"

"And then, on top of that, I find out that while you were there, you had a  _romantic relationshi_ p with the the Okumura boy," he says between clenched teeth. "I know that I am no longer  _pur_ e, but there's a big difference between a 'corrupted' angel and the son of the devil, Brie."

I move my mouth in an attempt to speak but I can't form any words, I can only stare at him as he continues to get angry. "He is a  _demon,_ Brie. Not only that, but you've been with me for far longer. Are you really going to let this," he gestures to himself as his eyes flash, "get in the way of us?"

"Zuriel, it wasn't like that. I didn't even know what I was at the time. Which was  _your_  fault," I say with a glare at him. "And yes, I am going to let this get in the way of  _us._ If there even is an 'us' anymore."

"Why wouldn't there be?" he asks, looking genuinely confused. "I don't understand why you're making such a big deal about this. We've been together this long, why should this change anything?"

"Because you're not  _you,_ Zuriel!" I shout, frustrated and scared. "You're not the man I fell in love with all those years ago! You're  _different_ now! You've sold your soul to the devil, Zuriel! How could we be together now? Your corruption will spread only spread to me and others around you if you stay like this! Don't you understand that?"

Zuriel stands suddenly and jumps off of the bed, landing on the floor right in front of me. His eyes are entirely black as he glares at me with a snarl twisting his lips. "This is about that Okumura kid, isn't it?! It's not even about what I am now! You love him more than me, don't you?!"

"Stop making this about Rin!"

"It's true, though, isn't it?!" he hollers in my face. "You love him now and not me! Well, you know what?! You can't be in love with someone who's dead!"

The room is silent as I stare at him in shock. "You wouldn't," I whisper, though I am unsure of my words. "Zuriel, you not be yourself right now, but you're not a killer."

His eyes narrow at me as he spreads his wings. I gasp as I look at them. Instead of the pure, white wings that once were, they are now black and broken. Feathers are missing from all over and as he spreads them I see even more fall off. I feel tears sting my eyes as I reach out to him. "Zuriel...your wings..."

He looks at the ground, avoiding my eyes. Then, without speaking another word, he jumps out of my window and plunges toward the ground. I gasp and rush to my window, expecting to see his body bloodied on the ground. I search around and jump when his flying form appears in front of me. His eyes look into mine as he speaks.

"You belong with me, Brie. I'm not going to let some demon get in my way."

And with those last words, he turns and flies away. I am numb as I sit back on my bed, holding my head in my hands. I hear someone enter the room, but it sounds far away, almost like I'm not even there.

"Brie?" I can hear Mattia call out to me. "What happened? Where's Zuriel?"

I look up at her as I open my mouth to speak, tears of fear and anger and sadness threatening to spill over onto my cheeks.

"He's going to kill Rin."

 


	24. I Can't Let Him Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Determination.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

"We have organized this meeting in order to address the issue at hand. That issue being that our fellow angel, Zuriel, plans to kill the half-demon son of Satan, Rin Okumura."

I wring my hands together anxiously as Urim speaks. He looks around at all of us in the Circle and continues on. "As members of the Circle, it is our duty to make a plan of action," he says.

"Isn't the plan of action obvious?" I blurt out. Everyone looks at me but I harden my expression and keep talking. "We have to stop Zuriel before he hurts Rin!"

Caleb doesn't meet my eye as he replies. "He's the son of Satan, Brie. Why should we help him?"

"And also," Mattia adds quietly, "Rin is the son of Satan. Don't you think he can handle himself?"

"Angels are the original exorcists, Mattia," I say, frustrated that even she would side against me. "They can kill demons. Why aren't you all agreeing with me?"

Urim looks at me with pity. "Brienna, if Zuriel killed Rin, it would be less trouble for us."

"Fine. If I can't appeal to your emotions, then let me try logic. If Zuriel kills Rin, Satan isn't just going to turn his head to it. I met Satan, in case you've forgotten. He screamed at me just because I was there. If we kill his son, I guarantee we aren't going to get away with just a scolding," I finish with a glare at all of them.

A woman with short, blue hair speaks up. "But we aren't killing him, Zuriel is. And once it's over we will simply banish Zuriel as punishment for his corruption," she says with a stern look.

"Do you really think if it happens that way that we can all just move on? Zuriel is technically part of the Circle, and if he kills Rin, Satan will track it back to us. We may be enemies now, but that's only because of species and stature. If he thinks that we are responsible for his son's death, we will be making a personal enemy of Satan," I counter, looking into the woman's eyes.

The rest of the group stares at me with uncertainty. I give an exasperated sigh and throw my arms into the air. "If you don't want to help Rin, fine! I'll go stop Zuriel with or without your approval!" I shout at them, my face heating up. I turn on my heel and begin to storm off but am stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turn back around and am shocked when I see Caleb.

"I don't love the idea that you want to help a demon," he says with a shake of his head. But as I watch, I see his mouth turn up at the corners into a small smile. "But I'm your older brother. I'm supposed to stick by you when you need me. I know I haven't done that lately, and I'm sorry, Brie."

I can't help but smile at him, but wipe away the smile as I cross my arms and turn away with a pout. "Well, I'm still mad at you, but I guess you can help me," I say, my smile showing through as I look back at him. He smiles widely and pulls me into a quick hug. As we turn to the others, Mattia steps forward with a smile.

"I hope you don't plan on going without me," she says sheepishly. "Last time I let you go on a mission alone you got your memory wiped."

I grin at her and take her hand into mine, holding Caleb's in my other. I look at the rest of the Circle and give them each a hard stare before I speak. "Meeting adjourned."

-LATER-

I stand at the edge of the floating island that holds the city with Caleb and Mattia. Darkness has fallen and the stars are bright in the night sky. I look down below us and can see the twinkling lights of cities and towns. I glance at the two at my side's and they each give me brief nods. With a nod of my own, I step forward and plummet off the edge of the island.

I hear the others fall with me and spread their wings. I, however, continue to nosedive toward the ground, taking pleasure in the feeling of the wind in my face. I can't help but grin as I fall. It feels like it's been so long since I last flew. It isn't until I hit the cloud barrier that I open my wings to catch the wind.

"Just as crazy as ever, Brie," Caleb says as he and Mattia catch up to me.

I smirk at him and raise my eyebrow. "Jealous?"

"You wish. Who was the one who taught you to fly?" he scoffs as we land on the outskirts of Academy Town.

"Who's the one who has won every race we've had since then?" I reply, crossing my arms.

"That's because you're a cheater."

"No it's because I'm better "

"Cheater."

"Better."

"Cheater!"

"Better!"

"CHEA-!"

"Alright you two, you're both spectacular fliers," Mattia interrupts, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

I grin at her and shut my eyes, holding my head up high. "Yeah, but I'm way more spectacular than him."

Caleb rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything more on the subject. His expression sobers and he looks up toward the academy. I follow his gaze and my eyes widen in horror. There, at the school, a fire is blazing, torching the entire campus.

"He...he couldn't have," I stutter, struggling to hold myself up. "Not Zuriel. He wouldn't put all those innocent people at risk like that...right?

Mattia rests a hand on my shoulder and I look at her. He eyes are hard as she searches my own eyes. "Brie, you need to realize that this is not the same Zuriel you fell in love with. He's...different now. He's corrupted. If you're feelings for him are going to get in the way of this rescue, then you should just stop right now. You should just go home."

I stare at her in surprise. Mattia has always been so kind, so caring. I've never seen this side of her, not even when we had gone on other missions together. I had always thought that if anyone would jeopardize a mission it would be her, not me. I'm supposed to be the strong one, the one that never fails. And here I am now, being told off by Mattia about jeopardizing a mission.

I can't even suppress the tears as they come to my eyes. Or the laughter that escapes from my throat. "Look at me, I never thought I would be so useless in a time like this."

"I'm sorry, Brie, I just don't want you to get hurt because of your own emotions. I can't lose you again. It's not that you're useless. We all have our weaknesses," Mattia says quietly.

"Mattia's right, Brie. If you can't handle it, it's okay. We can save Rin without you," Caleb says.

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. He's right, though. They don't need me. They're both extremely capable angels of the Lord. Each of their own powers giving them strength.

"No."

They both look at me. "What?"

"No. I won't leave. Zuriel is my problem. And protecting Rin is my problem, too. It's my fault that Rin is in danger. I can't just let him down like this," I whisper.

Mattia and Caleb share a glance before looking back at me. Mattia smiles at me and Caleb nods. "Well then," Mattia says, "let's go save your demon."

 


	25. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much screaming.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

I had been wrong. The worst part about the chaos was  _not_ the fact that Zuriel had caused it.

The worst part was the screams.

The  _screams_ of the students and staff residing within the academy were bone-chilling. I had heard screams much like this not but a few days before when the hobgoblin had attacked Academy Town, but even then I had not had access to my angel abilities. Even then I couldn't  _feel_ the terror through their screams.

And that's how it was now. I could  _feel_ the emotions behind every one of those screams below me as I flew over the chaos. I could feel the terror, pain, sadness, anger, loss, confusion, and absolute horror behind every single one. And I could hear every prayer that was going through the minds of the citizens.

_"Please, God, let him be okay!"_

_"Save me, please!"_

_"Help me, someone!"_

_"What have we done to deserve this, God?"_

_"Please...I don't want to die..."_

I wanted so badly to block them all out. Block out the suffering of the humans below me. But instead, I listened. I listened to  _every single one_ of the prayers and wishes being shouted into my head. I listened and let it fuel my anger, my  _rage_ , towards Zuriel and what he had done. He had harmed and endangered all of these innocent people for his petty wish to win me back. I kept listening.

_"Help!"_

_"Take away the pain, please!"_

_"Make it stop, I beg you!"_

_"Please let Brie be okay..."_

I almost fell out of the sky upon hearing this prayer. Upon hearing his voice inside my head among many others.  _Rin's_ voice. He was still  _alive._

"I heard him!" I shouted over the wind to Mattia and Caleb. "I  _heard_ him!"

"Well, where is he?" Caleb shouted back.

I listened back to the prayers running through my head until I found his once more. When I did I was surprised to find that he wasn't just saying  _my_ name, but all the names of his friends.

_"Please let them be okay. Bon, Shiemi, Kuro, Shima, Miwa,_ _Izumo,_ _Shura, Yukio...Brie...Please let them all be okay..."_

I felt my eyes well up as I continued to listen to his chant of names, trying to track them to his location. I listened and concentrated until I finally pinpointed where his voice was coming from.

"He's in the main building! I think he's waiting...for Zuriel! He's waiting for the fight to come to him!" I yelled.

Mattia shot me a confused glance. "He couldn't possibly know that the thing attacking is after  _him!"_

"He's the son of Satan, Tia! Who else would it be coming after?" Caleb shouted, in which Mattia nodded in response.

"Let's go back him up, yeah?" I yelled to the two of them. Mattia smiled and though it was hesitant at first, Caleb shot me a smile.

We flew low over the main academy building before landing at the front door. The heat from the flames was intense, but luckily there were no flames within reaching distance. The screams had died down, most likely because the campus had been evacuated, and the only sounds audible was the crackling of the fires around us. I shuddered at the thought of how many students and teachers had been lost to these flames. To  _Zuriel's_ flames. I shook my head in disgust and walked into the front door of the academy.

And there he was.

"Rin."

The raven haired teen blinked at me in utter shock. "Brie? Is...Is that you?"

I nodded, unable to speak, but knowing I didn't need to speak for him to understand. His mouth spread into that all too familiar grin, and even as the tears flowed down my face, I couldn't help but match it with my own smile. I wanted to run to him, but my legs felt like they would give if I moved from that spot. So, instead, he ran to me.

One moment my knees were buckling beneath me, and the next he was there, catching me. He squeezed me tightly to him and, wrapping my arms around him, I squeezed back. Not as tightly as he, but I knew he could feel the emotion behind the embrace. Just as I could feel the emotion behind his. Relief, surprise, joy, longing, passion, and the overwhelming feeling of  _love._  A love that I had never felt before. A love so  _pure_ and  _innocent._ A love that Zuriel's could never begin to be a match for.

And in that bubble of emotion, I took Rin's face in my hands and kissed him. I kissed him  _hard_ , hoping that he could feel my own love for him. Wanting him to feel all the emotions I was feeling for him. My own passion, relief, joy, and longing for him. And when he responded fiercely to my kiss, I knew he felt all of those things and more.

"Oh, how  _sweet._ "

We both pulled away from our passionate kiss to look at the threat before us. Zuriel had arrived and now stood mere feet away from us. Knowing that Caleb and Mattia would have warned us sooner I glanced at them. They stood there behind us, seemingly unharmed, but frozen in time. Their faces were arranged in expressions of panic and Caleb's arm reached toward me, stopped in mid-movement. I stood suddenly and faced Zuriel, Rin standing close next to me, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What did you do to them?" I asked quietly, feeling the anger roll off of my own words.

Zuriel smirked. "It's a new trick I learned when I teamed up with the demons. I can stop time now. Neat, right?"

"Why didn't you just freeze us all and get it over with?" Rin asked, his voice steely and full of rage.

"It's a rather limited trick. I can't really do much at one time. I'm no King of Time and Space," Zuriel replied lazily, letting his stance drop to a seemingly casual one. But I knew better than to lower my guard. "And anyway, I wanted to fight you head to head, Satan spawn. It will be much more... _satisfying._ "

"It's funny how you use the term 'Satan spawn' as an insult, Zuriel," I said, smirking. "I mean, Rin didn't  _choose_ his father, and yet,  _you_ did. You gave up your soul to Satan  _willingly._ "

"Details, details,  _my dear_  Brienna," Zuriel said.

" _My dear? Brienna?_ " Rin asks as he throws a confused glance my way.

I shake my head at him. "It's a  _long_ story. One for another day." I pause. "And Brienna is my full name."

"Your full name? How come you never told me your full name?"

"I didn't really have that information at the time."

"Tch. Excuses."

"I had no memory!"

"Why did he call you 'my dear'?"

"I told you it's a long-"

"Is he your  _ex_?"

"Technically we never  _really_ broke up," Zuriel pipes in. "I'm her  _fiance."_

 _"Fiance?_ " Rin asks. "Like, as in you two are  _engaged_?"

"Can we not do this right now?" I shout. "Obviously the engagement is off, Zuriel! So just fuck off!"

Zuriel's expression becomes dark and he takes a step forward. Instinctively, I take a step back from the dark aura beginning to radiate from him. "I don't think so, Brie. You're  _mine._  And you'll  _always_ be mine."

Rin steps in front of me, his sword now drawn and flaming. Even from behind I can see the blue flames on the top of his head, curling into the shape of horns. "Over my dead body."

Zuriel's smirk turns up into a crazed smile as he continues to walk forward to meet Rin. "That can be arranged."

 


	26. Flames of Blue and Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey look it's the title of the story.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

The speed at which Rin and Zuriel flew at each other would have been too fast for human eyes to follow. I suppose they would have looked like blurs flying through the air. Following closely I was able to make out Zuriel drawing his dagger and quickly shouted a warning to Rin.

"He's armed, Rin!" I yelled. "Be careful!"

Rin's voice travels throughout the room as he replies. "Why don't you give me a hand here,  _Brienna_?"

I sigh but hold my arms out, feeling my bow materialize in my hands. The weight of it is comforting after not holding it for so long. Many would not believe me if I told them I was born to fight, but there's a reason  _I_ was the one sent to kill Satan. If I had the ability to kill the devil, I would have no problem killing a corrupted soul like Zuriel.

Once my bow was solid in my hands, I reached back for an arrow, knowing that one would appear in my hand. I settled the arrow onto the bow and drew the string back until my fingers slid against my own face. I followed the blurs of movement and the sparks of metal clashing, waiting for the chance to shoot.

Zuriel and Rin were going at each other madly, neither of them holding back. Each fighter had their own strengths and weaknesses, and they were apparent now. Rin had the advantage of having a longer blade than Zuriel which meant he could make hits from farther distances, but Zuriel had the advantage of having thousands of years of fighting. He knew every strategy in the book. But somehow that was also a disadvantage. He knew strategy, that was true, but he was fighting Rin.

And Rin's strategy, is not having a strategy.

I could see Zuriel's eyes watching every part of Rin's body, trying so hard to figure him out. Rin was wailing on Zuriel's dagger with his sword, slash after slash after slash. But despite his attempts, he hadn't even made a mark on Zuriel yet. Too be fair, Zuriel hadn't marked Rin either, but if this went on any longer Zuriel might find a pattern and be able to make a move.

"Psst."

I turned around quickly, aiming my bow at whoever had creeped up on me. I lowered my stance slightly after finding that it was Amaimon. Of course, I didn't lower it fully. I had only really spent a day with Amaimon and had never really gotten to know what kind of demon he was. I didn't trust him. Not yet.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, keeping my voice down so that Zuriel was not alerted to the Demon King's presence.

Amaimon shrugged and lazily eyed the ongoing fight above us, a sucker stick moving back and forth out of his mouth. "I got bored. I saw the fire. Figured something interesting was going on." He paused and glanced back and forth from the fight and me. "Who's that? Up there."

"Zuriel. He  _was_ an angel like me, but," I pause and sigh. "But he's no angel anymore. He's  _corrupted._ "

Amaimon lets his full gaze rest on me. "You know him?"

"You could say that."

"What is he to you?"

I glance back to the fight, seeing that neither fighter has made any progress, and then look back to Amaimon. "He was...my fiance." Amaimon stays quiet and I continue. "I know he seems bad now, but he used to be a much better person. I used to think I loved him and that-"

"I don't care," Amaimon interrupts, gazing at the fight. He looks back at me, his eyes staring straight into mine. "I don't care about what he  _was_ to you. What is he to you  _now?_ "

I look at the fight, both still relentlessly going head on at each other. I can still feel each fighter's underlying emotions as he fights. Rin's rage at what Zuriel had done to his school and home. His anger that Zuriel was trying to claim me like I was property when I had chosen him. Worry for his friends and the hope that they were okay. And finally the sense of love toward me and the feeling of the need to protect.

In Zuriel, I could feel emotions similar to Rin's but also completely different. He was angry at me and Rin for being together. He was enraged that I had fallen for anyone else besides him and he hated Rin for falling for me. I couldn't feel an underlying feeling of love in him, but instead I felt a tangled web of obsession and at the center was me.

Zuriel's emotions had become so dark, but that feeling of obsession seemed so familiar to me, like I had sensed it in him before. He had never even loved me, he had just  _wanted_ me. He had just been  _obsessed_ with me. He had never seen all my traits and flaws, he had just seen a pretty prize. The beautiful warrior, truly I would be the perfect girl for him.

I shut my eyes and held back the tears that threatened to roll down my face. I wouldn't cry over him anymore, he wasn't worthy of those tears. He was only of one thing. And knowing that, I answered Amaimon's question and let all of my emotions be shown in my answer.

"He's a problem. A problem that needs to be eliminated immediately."

Amaimon's eyes glint with the light of mischief, intrigue, and...anger. Even Amaimon, who had known me for a day or so, was angry at this corrupted angel for the way he had treated me and the residents of this school. I think he might also have been mad that he hadn't been getting to fight until now, but I could be wrong.

"I'm going to try to take him by surprise," Amaimon said, crouching into a fighting stance. "When you see your opening, shoot." And then he jumps up and into the fight.

Zuriel barely  _flinches_.

I curse under my breath. He must have sensed Amaimon before he held touch him. Zuriel dodged Amaimon's attack and sliced at him with his dagger. Amaimon doesn't react, but I can see his blood splatter onto the floor. Even with his odds being lowered he's making headway. Watching the three fight I abruptly feel a pair in my head and remember something from days ago, something that had hurt my head when I had tried to remember. A dark place, where blue flames and green flames fight for dominance.

At least, that's what I had thought.

Now, instead of being forced to keep at a distance without a clear picture of the flames, I am able to walk closer. And the closer I get, the more clear I can see what is happening. I see the blue flames begin to die down, only to jump back to life when the green flames die down. And then I notice something. That the darkness around the flames is moving. The  _darkness_ is what's causing the flames to flicker, and just as the darkness is engulfing one pair of flames the other fights back to save them.

The flames had never been fighting each other.

They had been fighting together against the darkness surrounding them.

And that's what was happening now with Amaimon and Rin. When Rin would begin to tire out and give, Zuriel would take the advantage and try to make a move, only to have Amaimon deflect the attack. And then when Amaimon would tire out Rin would do the same. And suddenly I felt a very clear feeling from Zuriel. The feeling of hopelessness. He knew that they could keep this up for far longer than he could.

He was afraid. And he had hesitated.

I took my shot.

 


	27. Not A Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End.

**_BRIE'S P.O.V._ **

My arrow glided through the air, faster than any normal arrow should be. I could hear it tearing through the air as it headed directly to its target. I knew I wouldn't need to shout a warning to Rin or Amaimon to keep clear. I had faith in my steady hand. I knew it would hit Zuriel and him alone.

The arrow struck Zuriel in his stomach. The shot had surprised him just like I knew it would. He had been so busy focusing on the two fighting him close up that he'd forgotten about my bow. His eyes found mine as he stumbled from the air. They were filled with the pain and sadness of someone who had been betrayed. But those emotions were very suddenly swallowed by rage and hatred. And when those emotions were swallowed, I knew that  _my_ Zuriel was gone forever.

And I suddenly realized that that conclusion didn't hurt me like it should. I realized that I didn't care. When I had told Amaimon that Zuriel was now just a problem to be dealt with I had meant it. That's  _all_ Zuriel was anymore. A problem. A tangled mess of hatred and obsession that needed to be disposed of. But I didn't want someone else to dispose of it for me.

 _I_ was going to be the one to end Zuriel.

And so when Rin and Amaimon began to fall down onto Zuriel, who lay on the ground now, I acted.

"STOP!" I shouted at them. I didn't think they would listen, but to my surprise they stopped directly in front of Zuriel. I walked forward to step between them and him.

Zuriel let out a weak laugh from where he lay. "My dear Brienna, are you at last standing up for me? I knew you would. Let us deal with these demons together."

"No, Zuriel," I say tightly. His expression turns from a smile into a grim mask. "I'm  _not_ protecting you. You don't deserve my protection, Zuriel."

"But-" He frowns. "But this was all for  _you_. I did this for  _you,_  Brienna. Because I love you."

I gesture to the glass doors of the school. Through it, the flames of his fires can still be seen burning. " _This?_  You did  _this_ for me? Zuriel, you hurt innocent people today! You don't kill innocent people for the one you love! You don't hurt her friends! What else have you done for me, Zuriel? Sold your soul? Did you do that for me too?"

"Of course not!" He shouts, causing him to cough. He continues more quietly. "I did it because I was presented the opportunity."

"The opportunity to what? More power?" I ask. He stays quiet. "What do you need this power for? This power that's tearing you apart!" I can see that Zuriel is starting to recover from my hit and realize I need to make this fast. I sigh. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's over. You're not worth any more of my time. You don't even deserve the quick death I'm going to give you."

I think in that moment Zuriel finally realized that he had lost. His eyes widened in fear as I placed an arrow onto my bow and drew back, aiming for his heart. He sputtered for words. "Please, Brienna. You have to know! I love you! Don't you understand that? I've  _always_ loved you!"

"You  _never_ loved me. You were  _obsessed_ with me," I whisper, and let the arrow loose.

And that was the end of Zuriel.

"Well that was dramatic."

I didn't even turn around to see who it was. I knew. Instead I asked, "What will happen to him now?"

Mephisto stepped up beside me and examined Zuriel's body as it disappeared into dust. "Mm. I imagine he'll go to Gehenna."

"What will Satan do with him?"

"More than likely he'll punish him."

"...Will he ever come back?"

"I very well doubt it. But who can tell what time holds?"

We stand silent, Amaimon, Rin, Mephisto, and I, until I remember Caleb and Mattia. I turn away from where Zuriel's body had been and stride over to their unmoving forms. Mephisto follows me and examines them. I look at him. "Can you fix them?"

He stares long and hard at their forms until answering. "I cannot. But with the magic caster dead it will only be a matter of time until it wears off."

I sigh in relief and sink to the floor in exhaustion. Everything was going to be okay. Zuriel was gone, Caleb and Mattia would be okay, Rin was safe, and we were all alive. Overall, things couldn't have been better.

Well, that might be an exaggeration, but hey, let a girl have her moment.

**ONE MONTH LATER**

"Meeting dismissed."

I jump from my seat in the council room and run full speed out the door. I hear Caleb and Mattia shout goodbyes and Caleb adds, "Say hi to Rin for me!"

I spread my wings after I'm out of the building and fly to the edge as fast as I can. Tyrone waves at me as I fly over the gate and I smile at him before plummeting over the edge of the city limit. I tuck my wings in to gather speed and only reopen them when I see city of Academy Town.

The weather below the clouds is pleasant today, the sun is out and the sky is blue with white clouds spotted throughout its expanse. I smile and steer my flight towards the top of Academy Town, where I'll find the academy itself. I look at my watch (Rin had bought it so that we could schedule time together but I still hadn't really gotten the hang of 'time' yet) and though it took a moment to tell the time, I read that it was 2:50 PM, ten minutes before Rin got out of school.

I was making good time and had five minutes to spare when I landed at the school entrance. I hid my wings from human eyes and sat on the edge of the fountain where I always wait. Laughing to myself I remember the first day I was here, when Amaimon dragged me to this fountain to meet Rin.

The school bell rings, interrupting my reminiscent thoughts. Students spill out of the main entrance. Girls giggle at each other and some boys run at full speed from the entrance. I don't bother to search the crowd, I already know he'll come find me. I shut my eyes and hum quietly to myself, waiting.

I feel a hand rest on my head and smile, keeping my eyes shut. "Caleb says hi."

"Wow really? He's really starting to warm up to me," Rin replies with a laugh. I open my eyes and look at him, drinking him in like every time. His raven hair is put back with a clip today, and his blue eyes pop even more because of it. He's grinning his usual grin and I can see his canines poking out of his mouth. The Kurikara is strapped to his back like always, sheathed and put away into its case.

"You should take a picture, it'll last longer."

"Shut up, Amaimon," Rin says as the green-haired demon walks up.

"It's rude to tell people to shut up, Okumura," Bon interrupts as he, Shura, and Miwa also enter the group. "And I hope you brought your books home to study."

I hear a laugh as Izumo and Shiemi both walk up to us. The laugh had come from Izumo. "Rin studying? Don't make me laugh."

"That's not very nice Izumo," Shiemi scolds.

"You're all going to be late for cram school if you don't hurry," says Yukio as he walks by quickly, most likely going to prepare for his lesson of the day.

We say goodbye to Amaimon (he had come before but it hadn't turned out well) and walk in a group towards the cram school entrance. As we walk, Rin and Bon bicker, Shima starts hitting on Izumo, and Shiemi start to talk about plants. As we walk Shura joins us and comes to the back of  group to talk to me.

"You sure are quiet. Is the meathead ignoring you?" Shura asks.

"No, no. He's got bigger problems right now," I say as I watch Bon hit Rin over the head. Shura follows my gaze and laughs. We stay quiet for a few moments, enjoying the nice weather.

"Say, Brie," Shura speaks up. "Would you ever change any of this? Do you ever wish that you could take everything that's happened back?"

I look at her and then at the group around us. As I look around at them all, Rin catches my eye. He smiles at me and then goes back to fighting with Bon. It's weird when I look into Rin's eyes. Usually when I look into someone's eyes the emotions are always different. But every time I looked into Rin's eyes it was the same. It was always love.

"I wouldn't change a thing."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Love, Gen.


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